Use the source ... App::Info::Handler::Prompt, which just does a straightforward <STDIN>.

Hm. Can that be so? Given that if a simple <STDIN> is used, I get the full power of cmd.exe's command line editing--history etc.--but none of that seems to be available for that (or any other) makefile prompt?

http://cpansearch.perl.org/src/MSCHWERN/ExtUtils-MakeMaker-6.50/lib/ExtUtils/MakeMaker.pm

sub prompt ($;$) {  ## no critic
    my($mess, $def) = @_;
    Carp::confess("prompt function called without an argument") 
        unless defined $mess;

    my $isa_tty = -t STDIN && (-t STDOUT || !(-f STDOUT || -c STDOUT))
+ ;

    my $dispdef = defined $def ? "[$def] " : " ";
    $def = defined $def ? $def : "";

    local $|=1;
    local $\;
    print "$mess $dispdef";

    my $ans;
    if ($ENV{PERL_MM_USE_DEFAULT} || (!$isa_tty && eof STDIN)) {
        print "$def\n";
    }
    else {
        $ans = <STDIN>;
        if( defined $ans ) {
            chomp $ans;
        }
        else { # user hit ctrl-D
            print "\n";
        }
    }

    return (!defined $ans || $ans eq '') ? $def : $ans;
}
[download]

Simple test, each exe appears to get its own history

perl -e"warn scalar readline(STDIN)"
perl5.8.7 -e"warn scalar readline(STDIN)"
[download]

The number (and size) of command history buffers is configurable. From 1 to 999 and indexed by the image name.

---

Examine what is said, not who speaks -- Silence betokens consent -- Love the truth but pardon error.

"Science is about questioning the status quo. Questioning authority".

In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice.

"Too many [] have been sedated by an oppressive environment of political correctness and risk aversion."

Why do you expect to get the cmd.exe's features if it isn't cmd.exe that processes your input, but App::Info::Handler::Prompt?

For the same reason I expect--and get--cmd.exe's CLE features when I use <STDIN> within my Perl programs. Cos that's the way the system works!

---

Examine what is said, not who speaks -- Silence betokens consent -- Love the truth but pardon error.

"Science is about questioning the status quo. Questioning authority".

In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice.

"Too many [] have been sedated by an oppressive environment of political correctness and risk aversion."