Hmm ... maybe Inline::C should provide an option that allows one to place C code ahead of those inclusions. (TODO ?)

I wonder if, in this case, it wouldn't be possible to pass a -D_WIN32_WINNT=0x0500 to the compiler CCFLAGS?

After all, if CORE/win32.h did its job properly I think it would assign the actual value associated with the OS on which perl was running, not just provide a minimum supported value.

Agreed. But the whole (MS) concept of a define that you specify to say that you want at least version x.xxx, then preventing anything later than version x.xx being included, is a weird way to write header files.

As you say, the best solution to the problem that creates, would be for win32.h to define it to be "the current OS version" at compile time, but I can't find a ready source for that information amongst the MSC pre-defines.

---

With the rise and rise of 'Social' network sites: 'Computers are making people easier to use everyday'

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.

The start of some sanity?

I wonder if, in this case, it wouldn't be possible to pass a -D_WIN32_WINNT=0x0500 to the compiler CCFLAGS?

Yes - that works for this case. (I didn't think of doing that.)
There are, I think, (hypothetical) situations where that approach would be found wanting - eg if the define depended upon what else is defined (#ifdef/#else/#endif), or if you need to include a header.

I can't find a ready source for that information amongst the MSC pre-defines

I can't either - it may not exist. The only way I know of is GetOSVersion().

Cheers,
Rob

Thanks again to all of you helping me so much.

Here I want to post the solution of my original problem.

#!/usr/bin/perl

use strict;
use threads;
use Thread::Queue;

use Win32::JobAdd;

## A shared var to communicate progess between work thread and TK
my $Q = new Thread::Queue;

my $job:shared = createJobObject( 'counter_and_calc_job' );

sub work{
    my $pid = open PROC, 
    q[perl -le "$|=1; system 1, 'calc.exe'; print and select(undef,und
+ef,undef,0.1) for 1 .. 1000" |]
        or die $!;
    assignProcessToJobObject( $job, $pid );
    
    while( <PROC> ) {
        $Q->enqueue( $_ );
    }
    close PROC;    
}

threads->new( \&work )->detach;

## For lowest memory consumption require (not use)
## Tk::* after you've started the work thread.
require Tk::ProgressBar;

my $mw = MainWindow->new;
my $pb = $mw->ProgressBar()->pack();
my $button = $mw->Button(-text => 'CANCEL',
                         -command => sub { closeHandle( $job ) } )->pa
+ck();

my $repeat;
$repeat = $mw->repeat( 100 => sub {
    while( $Q->pending ) {
        my $progress = $Q->dequeue;
        return unless $progress;
        $repeat->cancel if $progress == 100;
        $pb->value( $progress )
    }
});


$mw->MainLoop;
[download]

This code solves my two problems. Being able to read from a child process, but also being able to kill the whole process tree instead of only killing the child process and to have zombie processes.

If you press the "Cancel" Button then the calculator and the child process which counts from 1 to 1000 are killed. Even if you quit the gui with the cross in the right upper corner the grandchild process "calculator" is killed.

Without a job environment in a Win32 environment the grandchild calculator would stay as a zombie process.

Feedback to this code is welcome.

Cheers, Dirk