i've been trying to use the built-in networking functions (specifically gethostbyname), but it seems the documentation (both perldoc -f AND the Camel) are wrong.

according to the Camel:

"In scalar context, gethostbyname returns only the host address.

I'm assuming this means: my $ip = gethostbyname foo.bar.net; would return an IP address. it returns the hostname.

and perldoc -f gethostbyname says that the get* functions return name:

" In scalar context, you get the name, unless the function was a lookup by name, in which case you get the other thing, whatever it is."

both documents lead me to believe that a scalar call to gethostbyname would return an IP address. but i only get the hostname.

I can use the long way ( $name, undef, undef, undef, @ips ) = gethostbyname foo.bar.net successfully.

so why doesn't the scalar call work?

In reply to gethostbyname bug? by geektron

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