5 open (OUT, ">perlmodlib.tmp") or die $!;
6 my (@pragma, @mod, @MANIFEST);
7 open (MANIFEST, "../MANIFEST") or die $!;
11 next unless s|^lib/|| or m|^ext/|;
12 ($filename) = m|^(\S+)|;
13 $filename =~ s|^[^/]+/|| if $filename =~ s|^ext/||;
14 next unless $filename =~ m!\.p(m|od)$!;
15 next unless open (MOD, "../lib/$filename");
23 next unless /^=head1 NAME/;
29 warn "$filename missing =head1 NAME (okay if there is respective .pod)\n";
36 my $perlname = $filename;
37 $perlname =~ s!\.p(m|od)$!!;
38 $perlname =~ s!/!::!g;
40 ($name, $thing) = split / --? /, $title, 2;
42 unless ($name and $thing) {
43 warn "$filename missing name\n" unless $name;
44 warn "$filename missing thing\n" unless $thing;
49 $thing =~ s/^perl pragma to //i;
50 $thing = ucfirst($thing);
51 $title = "=item $perlname\n\n$thing\n\n";
53 if ($filename =~ /[A-Z]/) {
62 Generated by perlmodlib.PL -- DO NOT EDIT!
66 perlmodlib - constructing new Perl modules and finding existing ones
70 =head1 THE PERL MODULE LIBRARY
72 Many modules are included the Perl distribution. These are described
73 below, and all end in F<.pm>. You may discover compiled library
74 file (usually ending in F<.so>) or small pieces of modules to be
75 autoloaded (ending in F<.al>); these were automatically generated
76 by the installation process. You may also discover files in the
77 library directory that end in either F<.pl> or F<.ph>. These are
78 old libraries supplied so that old programs that use them still
79 run. The F<.pl> files will all eventually be converted into standard
80 modules, and the F<.ph> files made by B<h2ph> will probably end up
81 as extension modules made by B<h2xs>. (Some F<.ph> values may
82 already be available through the POSIX, Errno, or Fcntl modules.)
83 The B<pl2pm> file in the distribution may help in your conversion,
84 but it's just a mechanical process and therefore far from bulletproof.
86 =head2 Pragmatic Modules
88 They work somewhat like compiler directives (pragmata) in that they
89 tend to affect the compilation of your program, and thus will usually
90 work well only when used within a C<use>, or C<no>. Most of these
91 are lexically scoped, so an inner BLOCK may countermand them
98 which lasts until the end of that BLOCK.
100 Some pragmas are lexically scoped--typically those that affect the
101 C<$^H> hints variable. Others affect the current package instead,
102 like C<use vars> and C<use subs>, which allow you to predeclare a
103 variables or subroutines within a particular I<file> rather than
104 just a block. Such declarations are effective for the entire file
105 for which they were declared. You cannot rescind them with C<no
108 The following pragmas are defined (and have their own documentation).
114 print OUT $_ for (sort @pragma);
119 =head2 Standard Modules
121 Standard, bundled modules are all expected to behave in a well-defined
122 manner with respect to namespace pollution because they use the
123 Exporter module. See their own documentation for details.
129 print OUT $_ for (sort @mod);
134 To find out I<all> modules installed on your system, including
135 those without documentation or outside the standard release,
138 % find `perl -e 'print "@INC"'` -name '*.pm' -print
140 They should all have their own documentation installed and accessible
141 via your system man(1) command. If you do not have a B<find>
142 program, you can use the Perl B<find2perl> program instead, which
143 generates Perl code as output you can run through perl. If you
144 have a B<man> program but it doesn't find your modules, you'll have
145 to fix your manpath. See L<perl> for details. If you have no
146 system B<man> command, you might try the B<perldoc> program.
148 =head2 Extension Modules
150 Extension modules are written in C (or a mix of Perl and C). They
151 are usually dynamically loaded into Perl if and when you need them,
152 but may also be linked in statically. Supported extension modules
153 include Socket, Fcntl, and POSIX.
155 Many popular C extension modules do not come bundled (at least, not
156 completely) due to their sizes, volatility, or simply lack of time
157 for adequate testing and configuration across the multitude of
158 platforms on which Perl was beta-tested. You are encouraged to
159 look for them on CPAN (described below), or using web search engines
160 like Alta Vista or Deja News.
164 CPAN stands for Comprehensive Perl Archive Network; it's a globally
165 replicated trove of Perl materials, including documentation, style
166 guides, tricks and traps, alternate ports to non-Unix systems and
167 occasional binary distributions for these. Search engines for
168 CPAN can be found at http://cpan.perl.com/ and at
169 http://theory.uwinnipeg.ca/mod_perl/cpan-search.pl .
171 Most importantly, CPAN includes around a thousand unbundled modules,
172 some of which require a C compiler to build. Major categories of
179 Language Extensions and Documentation Tools
187 Operating System Interfaces
191 Networking, Device Control (modems) and InterProcess Communication
195 Data Types and Data Type Utilities
207 Interfaces to / Emulations of Other Programming Languages
211 File Names, File Systems and File Locking (see also File Handles)
215 String Processing, Language Text Processing, Parsing, and Searching
219 Option, Argument, Parameter, and Configuration File Processing
223 Internationalization and Locale
227 Authentication, Security, and Encryption
231 World Wide Web, HTML, HTTP, CGI, MIME
235 Server and Daemon Utilities
239 Archiving and Compression
243 Images, Pixmap and Bitmap Manipulation, Drawing, and Graphing
251 Control Flow Utilities (callbacks and exceptions etc)
255 File Handle and Input/Output Stream Utilities
259 Miscellaneous Modules
263 Registered CPAN sites as of this writing include the following.
264 You should try to choose one close to you:
274 ftp://ftp.is.co.za/programming/perl/CPAN/
275 ftp://ftp.mweb.co.za/pub/mirrors/cpan/
276 ftp://ftp.saix.net/pub/CPAN/
277 ftp://ftp.sun.ac.za/CPAN/
289 ftp://freesoft.cei.gov.cn/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
290 http://www2.linuxforum.net/mirror/CPAN/
291 http://CPAN.pacific.net.hk/
292 ftp://ftp.pacific.net.hk/pub/mirror/CPAN/
293 http://cpan.shellhung.org/
294 ftp://ftp.shellhung.org/pub/CPAN
300 http://cpan.in.freeos.com
301 ftp://cpan.in.freeos.com/pub/CPAN/
307 http://cpan.itb.web.id/
308 ftp://mirrors.piksi.itb.ac.id/CPAN/
309 http://CPAN.mweb.co.id/
310 ftp://ftp.mweb.co.id/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
316 http://www.iglu.org.il:/pub/CPAN/
317 ftp://ftp.iglu.org.il/pub/CPAN/
318 http://cpan.lerner.co.il/
319 http://bioinfo.weizmann.ac.il/pub/software/perl/CPAN/
320 ftp://bioinfo.weizmann.ac.il/pub/software/perl/CPAN/
326 ftp://ftp.u-aizu.ac.jp/pub/CPAN
327 ftp://ftp.kddlabs.co.jp/CPAN/
328 http://mirror.nucba.ac.jp/mirror/Perl/
329 ftp://mirror.nucba.ac.jp/mirror/Perl/
330 ftp://ftp.meisei-u.ac.jp/pub/CPAN/
331 ftp://ftp.jaist.ac.jp/pub/lang/perl/CPAN/
332 ftp://ftp.dti.ad.jp/pub/lang/CPAN/
333 ftp://ftp.ring.gr.jp/pub/lang/perl/CPAN/
339 http://mirror.Mazic.org/pub/CPAN
340 ftp://mirror.Mazic.org/pub/CPAN
346 http://www.adzu.edu.ph/CPAN
353 ftp://cpan.tomsk.ru/pub/CPAN
359 ftp://ftp.isu.net.sa/pub/CPAN/
365 http://cpan.hjc.edu.sg
371 http://CPAN.bora.net/
372 ftp://ftp.bora.net/pub/CPAN/
373 http://ftp.kornet.net/pub/CPAN/
374 ftp://ftp.kornet.net/pub/CPAN/
375 ftp://ftp.nuri.net/pub/CPAN/
381 ftp://coda.nctu.edu.tw/UNIX/perl/CPAN
382 ftp://ftp.ee.ncku.edu.tw/pub/perl/CPAN/
383 ftp://ftp1.sinica.edu.tw/pub1/perl/CPAN/
384 http://ftp.tku.edu.tw/pub/CPAN/
385 ftp://ftp.tku.edu.tw/pub/CPAN/
391 http://download.nectec.or.th/CPAN/
392 ftp://ftp.nectec.or.th/pub/languages/CPAN/
393 ftp://ftp.cs.riubon.ac.th/pub/mirrors/CPAN/
397 =head2 Central America
405 ftp://ftp.linux.co.cr/mirrors/CPAN/
406 http://ftp.ucr.ac.cr/Unix/CPAN/
407 ftp://ftp.ucr.ac.cr/pub/Unix/CPAN/
419 ftp://ftp.tuwien.ac.at/pub/CPAN/
425 http://ftp.easynet.be/pub/CPAN/
426 ftp://ftp.easynet.be/pub/CPAN/
427 http://cpan.skynet.be
428 ftp://ftp.skynet.be/pub/CPAN
429 ftp://ftp.kulnet.kuleuven.ac.be/pub/mirror/CPAN/
435 ftp://ftp.ntrl.net/pub/mirrors/CPAN/
441 ftp://ftp.linux.hr/pub/CPAN/
447 http://ftp.fi.muni.cz/pub/CPAN/
448 ftp://ftp.fi.muni.cz/pub/CPAN/
449 ftp://sunsite.mff.cuni.cz/MIRRORS/ftp.funet.fi/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
455 http://mirrors.sunsite.dk/cpan/
456 ftp://sunsite.dk/mirrors/cpan/
457 http://www.cpan.dk/CPAN/
458 ftp://www.cpan.dk/ftp.cpan.org/CPAN/
464 http://www.mirror.ac.uk/sites/ftp.funet.fi/pub/languages/perl/CPAN
465 ftp://ftp.mirror.ac.uk/sites/ftp.funet.fi/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
466 http://cpan.crazygreek.co.uk
467 ftp://ftp.demon.co.uk/pub/CPAN/
468 ftp://ftp.flirble.org/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
469 ftp://ftp.plig.org/pub/CPAN/
470 ftp://sunsite.doc.ic.ac.uk/packages/CPAN/
471 http://mirror.uklinux.net/CPAN/
472 ftp://mirror.uklinux.net/pub/CPAN/
473 ftp://usit.shef.ac.uk/pub/packages/CPAN/
479 ftp://ftp.ut.ee/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
485 ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
486 http://cpan.kpnqwest.fi/
492 ftp://cpan.ftp.worldonline.fr/pub/CPAN/
493 http://cpan.mirrors.easynet.fr/
494 ftp://cpan.mirrors.easynet.fr/pub/ftp.cpan.org/
495 ftp://ftp.club-internet.fr/pub/perl/CPAN/
497 ftp://ftp.lip6.fr/pub/perl/CPAN/
498 ftp://ftp.oleane.net/pub/mirrors/CPAN/
499 ftp://ftp.pasteur.fr/pub/computing/CPAN/
501 ftp://cpan.cict.fr/pub/CPAN/
502 ftp://ftp.uvsq.fr/pub/perl/CPAN/
508 ftp://ftp.rz.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/pub/CPAN/
509 ftp://ftp.freenet.de/pub/ftp.cpan.org/pub/CPAN/
510 ftp://ftp.uni-erlangen.de/pub/source/CPAN/
511 ftp://ftp-stud.fht-esslingen.de/pub/Mirrors/CPAN
512 ftp://ftp.gigabell.net/pub/CPAN/
513 http://ftp.gwdg.de/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
514 ftp://ftp.gwdg.de/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
515 ftp://ftp.uni-hamburg.de/pub/soft/lang/perl/CPAN/
516 ftp://ftp.leo.org/pub/CPAN/
517 http://cpan.noris.de/
518 ftp://cpan.noris.de/pub/CPAN/
519 ftp://ftp.mpi-sb.mpg.de/pub/perl/CPAN/
520 ftp://ftp.gmd.de/mirrors/CPAN/
526 ftp://ftp.forthnet.gr/pub/languages/perl/CPAN
527 ftp://ftp.ntua.gr/pub/lang/perl/
533 http://cpan.artifact.hu/
534 ftp://cpan.artifact.hu/CPAN/
535 http://ftp.kfki.hu/pub/CPAN/
536 ftp://ftp.kfki.hu/pub/CPAN/
542 http://ftp.rhnet.is/pub/CPAN/
543 ftp://ftp.rhnet.is/pub/CPAN/
549 http://cpan.indigo.ie/
550 ftp://cpan.indigo.ie/pub/CPAN/
551 http://sunsite.compapp.dcu.ie/pub/perl/
552 ftp://sunsite.compapp.dcu.ie/pub/perl/
558 http://cpan.nettuno.it/
559 http://gusp.dyndns.org/CPAN/
560 ftp://gusp.dyndns.org/pub/CPAN
561 http://softcity.iol.it/cpan
562 ftp://softcity.iol.it/pub/cpan
563 ftp://ftp.unina.it/pub/Other/CPAN/
564 ftp://ftp.unipi.it/pub/mirror/perl/CPAN/
565 ftp://cis.uniRoma2.it/CPAN/
566 ftp://ftp.edisontel.it/pub/CPAN_Mirror/
567 ftp://ftp.flashnet.it/pub/CPAN/
573 http://kvin.lv/pub/CPAN/
579 ftp://ftp.unix.lt/pub/CPAN/
585 ftp://download.xs4all.nl/pub/mirror/CPAN/
586 ftp://ftp.nl.uu.net/pub/CPAN/
587 ftp://ftp.nluug.nl/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
588 http://cpan.cybercomm.nl/
589 ftp://mirror.cybercomm.nl/pub/cpan/
590 ftp://ftp.cpan.nl/pub/CPAN/
591 http://www.cs.uu.nl/mirror/CPAN/
592 ftp://ftp.cs.uu.nl/mirror/CPAN/
598 ftp://ftp.uninett.no/pub/languages/perl/CPAN
599 ftp://ftp.uit.no/pub/languages/perl/cpan/
605 ftp://ftp.pk.edu.pl/pub/lang/perl/CPAN/
606 http://www.fic.uni.lodz.pl/pub/CPAN
607 ftp://ftp.fic.uni.lodz.pl/pub/CPAN
608 ftp://ftp.mega.net.pl/pub/mirrors/ftp.perl.com/
609 ftp://ftp.man.torun.pl/pub/doc/CPAN/
610 ftp://sunsite.icm.edu.pl/pub/CPAN/
616 ftp://ftp.ua.pt/pub/CPAN/
617 ftp://perl.di.uminho.pt/pub/CPAN/
619 ftp://cpan.ip.pt/pub/perl/
620 ftp://ftp.ist.utl.pt/pub/CPAN/
622 ftp://cpan.ip.pt/pub/cpan/
623 ftp://ftp.netc.pt/pub/CPAN/
624 ftp://ftp.up.pt/pub/CPAN
630 ftp://archive.logicnet.ro/mirrors/ftp.cpan.org/CPAN/
631 ftp://ftp.kappa.ro/pub/mirrors/ftp.perl.org/pub/CPAN/
632 ftp://ftp.dntis.ro/pub/cpan/
633 ftp://ftp.opsynet.com/cpan/
634 ftp://ftp.dnttm.ro/pub/CPAN/
635 ftp://ftp.lasting.ro/pub/CPAN
636 ftp://ftp.timisoara.roedu.net/mirrors/CPAN/
642 ftp://ftp.chg.ru/pub/lang/perl/CPAN/
643 http://cpan.rinet.ru/
644 ftp://cpan.rinet.ru/pub/mirror/CPAN/
645 ftp://ftp.aha.ru/pub/CPAN/
646 http://cpan.sai.msu.ru/
647 ftp://ftp.sai.msu.su/pub/lang/perl/CPAN/
653 ftp://ftp.entry.sk/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
659 ftp://ftp.arnes.si/software/perl/CPAN/
665 ftp://ftp.rediris.es/mirror/CPAN/
666 ftp://ftp.etse.urv.es/pub/perl/
672 http://ftp.du.se/CPAN/
673 ftp://ftp.du.se/pub/CPAN/
674 ftp://mirror.dataphone.se/pub/CPAN
675 ftp://ftp.sunet.se/pub/lang/perl/CPAN/
681 ftp://ftp.danyk.ch/CPAN/
682 ftp://sunsite.cnlab-switch.ch/mirror/CPAN/
688 ftp://sunsite.bilkent.edu.tr/pub/languages/CPAN/
696 ftp://ftp.perl.org.ua/pub/CPAN/
714 http://sunsite.ualberta.ca/pub/Mirror/CPAN/
715 ftp://sunsite.ualberta.ca/pub/Mirror/CPAN/
721 http://theoryx5.uwinnipeg.ca/pub/CPAN/
722 ftp://theoryx5.uwinnipeg.ca/pub/CPAN/
728 ftp://cpan.chebucto.ns.ca/pub/CPAN/
734 ftp://ftp.crc.ca/pub/CPAN/
740 http://cpan.mirror.smartworker.org/
741 ftp://cpan.mirror.smartworker.org/pub/CPAN
749 http://cpan.azc.uam.mx
750 ftp://cpan.azc.uam.mx/mirrors/CPAN
752 ftp://cpan.unam.mx/pub/CPAN
753 http://www.msg.com.mx/CPAN/
754 ftp://ftp.msg.com.mx/pub/CPAN/
766 http://mirror.hiwaay.net/CPAN/
767 ftp://mirror.hiwaay.net/CPAN/
774 ftp://cpan.valueclick.com/pub/CPAN/
775 http://mirrors.gossamer-threads.com/CPAN
776 ftp://cpan.nas.nasa.gov/pub/perl/CPAN/
777 ftp://ftp.digital.com/pub/plan/perl/CPAN/
778 http://mirrors.kernel.org/cpan/
779 ftp://mirrors.kernel.org/pub/CPAN
780 http://cpan.digisle.net/
781 ftp://cpan.digisle.net/pub/CPAN
782 http://www.linuxjar.com/CPAN
783 ftp://linuxjar.com/pub/CPAN
784 http://www.perl.com/CPAN/
785 http://download.sourceforge.net/mirrors/CPAN/
791 ftp://ftp.cs.colorado.edu/pub/perl/CPAN/
797 ftp://ftp.dc.us.telia.net/pub/cpan/
803 ftp://ftp.cise.ufl.edu/pub/mirrors/CPAN/
804 http://mirror.csit.fsu.edu/pub/CPAN/
805 ftp://mirror.csit.fsu.edu/pub/CPAN/
811 http://uiarchive.uiuc.edu/mirrors/ftp/cpan.cse.msu.edu/
812 ftp://uiarchive.uiuc.edu/mirrors/ftp/cpan.cse.msu.edu/
818 ftp://ftp.uwsg.indiana.edu/pub/perl/CPAN/
819 http://cpan.nitco.com/
820 ftp://cpan.nitco.com/pub/CPAN/
821 http://archive.progeny.com/CPAN/
822 ftp://archive.progeny.com/CPAN/
823 ftp://cpan.in-span.net/
824 http://csociety-ftp.ecn.purdue.edu/pub/CPAN
825 ftp://csociety-ftp.ecn.purdue.edu/pub/CPAN
832 ftp://cpan.uky.edu/pub/CPAN/
838 ftp://ftp.ccs.neu.edu/net/mirrors/ftp.funet.fi/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
839 http://cpan.mirrors.netnumina.com/
840 ftp://mirrors.netnumina.com/cpan/
841 ftp://ftp.iguide.com/pub/mirrors/packages/perl/CPAN/
847 ftp://cpan.cse.msu.edu/
853 ftp://ftp.cpanel.net/pub/CPAN/
859 ftp://ftp.freesoftware.com/pub/perl/CPAN/
860 ftp://ftp.stealth.net/pub/CPAN/
861 http://www.rge.com/pub/languages/perl/
862 ftp://ftp.rge.com/pub/languages/perl/
863 ftp://mirrors.cloud9.net/pub/mirrors/CPAN/
869 ftp://ftp.duke.edu/pub/perl/
875 ftp://ftp.loaded.net/pub/CPAN/
881 ftp://ftp.ou.edu/mirrors/CPAN/
887 ftp://ftp.orst.edu/pub/CPAN
893 http://ftp.epix.net/CPAN/
894 ftp://ftp.epix.net/pub/languages/perl/
895 http://mirrors.phenominet.com/pub/CPAN/
896 ftp://mirrors.phenominet.com/pub/CPAN/
897 ftp://carroll.cac.psu.edu/pub/CPAN/
903 ftp://ftp.sunsite.utk.edu/pub/CPAN/
909 http://ftp.sedl.org/pub/mirrors/CPAN/
915 ftp://mirror.xmission.com/CPAN/
921 http://mirrors.rcn.net/pub/lang/CPAN/
922 ftp://mirrors.rcn.net/pub/lang/CPAN/
923 ftp://ruff.cs.jmu.edu/pub/CPAN/
924 http://perl.Liquidation.com/CPAN/
930 http://cpan.llarian.net/
931 ftp://cpan.llarian.net/pub/CPAN/
932 http://cpan.mirrorcentral.com/
933 ftp://ftp.mirrorcentral.com/pub/CPAN/
934 ftp://ftp-mirror.internap.com/pub/CPAN/
948 http://ftp.planetmirror.com/pub/CPAN/
949 ftp://ftp.planetmirror.com/pub/CPAN/
950 ftp://mirror.aarnet.edu.au/pub/perl/CPAN/
951 ftp://cpan.topend.com.au/pub/CPAN/
956 ftp://ftp.auckland.ac.nz/pub/perl/CPAN/
968 ftp://mirrors.bannerlandia.com.ar/mirrors/CPAN/
974 ftp://cpan.pop-mg.com.br/pub/CPAN/
975 ftp://ftp.matrix.com.br/pub/perl/CPAN/
981 ftp://ftp.psinet.cl/pub/programming/perl/CPAN/
982 ftp://sunsite.dcc.uchile.cl/pub/lang/perl/
987 For an up-to-date listing of CPAN sites,
988 see http://www.cpan.org/SITES or ftp://www.cpan.org/SITES .
990 =head1 Modules: Creation, Use, and Abuse
992 (The following section is borrowed directly from Tim Bunce's modules
993 file, available at your nearest CPAN site.)
995 Perl implements a class using a package, but the presence of a
996 package doesn't imply the presence of a class. A package is just a
997 namespace. A class is a package that provides subroutines that can be
998 used as methods. A method is just a subroutine that expects, as its
999 first argument, either the name of a package (for "static" methods),
1000 or a reference to something (for "virtual" methods).
1002 A module is a file that (by convention) provides a class of the same
1003 name (sans the .pm), plus an import method in that class that can be
1004 called to fetch exported symbols. This module may implement some of
1005 its methods by loading dynamic C or C++ objects, but that should be
1006 totally transparent to the user of the module. Likewise, the module
1007 might set up an AUTOLOAD function to slurp in subroutine definitions on
1008 demand, but this is also transparent. Only the F<.pm> file is required to
1009 exist. See L<perlsub>, L<perltoot>, and L<AutoLoader> for details about
1010 the AUTOLOAD mechanism.
1012 =head2 Guidelines for Module Creation
1018 Do similar modules already exist in some form?
1020 If so, please try to reuse the existing modules either in whole or
1021 by inheriting useful features into a new class. If this is not
1022 practical try to get together with the module authors to work on
1023 extending or enhancing the functionality of the existing modules.
1024 A perfect example is the plethora of packages in perl4 for dealing
1025 with command line options.
1027 If you are writing a module to expand an already existing set of
1028 modules, please coordinate with the author of the package. It
1029 helps if you follow the same naming scheme and module interaction
1030 scheme as the original author.
1034 Try to design the new module to be easy to extend and reuse.
1036 Try to C<use warnings;> (or C<use warnings qw(...);>).
1037 Remember that you can add C<no warnings qw(...);> to individual blocks
1038 of code that need less warnings.
1040 Use blessed references. Use the two argument form of bless to bless
1041 into the class name given as the first parameter of the constructor,
1046 return bless {}, $class;
1049 or even this if you'd like it to be used as either a static
1050 or a virtual method.
1054 my $class = ref($self) || $self;
1055 return bless {}, $class;
1058 Pass arrays as references so more parameters can be added later
1059 (it's also faster). Convert functions into methods where
1060 appropriate. Split large methods into smaller more flexible ones.
1061 Inherit methods from other modules if appropriate.
1063 Avoid class name tests like: C<die "Invalid" unless ref $ref eq 'FOO'>.
1064 Generally you can delete the C<eq 'FOO'> part with no harm at all.
1065 Let the objects look after themselves! Generally, avoid hard-wired
1066 class names as far as possible.
1068 Avoid C<< $r->Class::func() >> where using C<@ISA=qw(... Class ...)> and
1069 C<< $r->func() >> would work (see L<perlbot> for more details).
1071 Use autosplit so little used or newly added functions won't be a
1072 burden to programs that don't use them. Add test functions to
1073 the module after __END__ either using AutoSplit or by saying:
1075 eval join('',<main::DATA>) || die $@ unless caller();
1077 Does your module pass the 'empty subclass' test? If you say
1078 C<@SUBCLASS::ISA = qw(YOURCLASS);> your applications should be able
1079 to use SUBCLASS in exactly the same way as YOURCLASS. For example,
1080 does your application still work if you change: C<$obj = new YOURCLASS;>
1081 into: C<$obj = new SUBCLASS;> ?
1083 Avoid keeping any state information in your packages. It makes it
1084 difficult for multiple other packages to use yours. Keep state
1085 information in objects.
1089 Try to C<use strict;> (or C<use strict qw(...);>).
1090 Remember that you can add C<no strict qw(...);> to individual blocks
1091 of code that need less strictness.
1095 Follow the guidelines in the perlstyle(1) manual.
1101 Some simple style guidelines
1103 The perlstyle manual supplied with Perl has many helpful points.
1105 Coding style is a matter of personal taste. Many people evolve their
1106 style over several years as they learn what helps them write and
1107 maintain good code. Here's one set of assorted suggestions that
1108 seem to be widely used by experienced developers:
1110 Use underscores to separate words. It is generally easier to read
1111 $var_names_like_this than $VarNamesLikeThis, especially for
1112 non-native speakers of English. It's also a simple rule that works
1113 consistently with VAR_NAMES_LIKE_THIS.
1115 Package/Module names are an exception to this rule. Perl informally
1116 reserves lowercase module names for 'pragma' modules like integer
1117 and strict. Other modules normally begin with a capital letter and
1118 use mixed case with no underscores (need to be short and portable).
1120 You may find it helpful to use letter case to indicate the scope
1121 or nature of a variable. For example:
1123 $ALL_CAPS_HERE constants only (beware clashes with Perl vars)
1124 $Some_Caps_Here package-wide global/static
1125 $no_caps_here function scope my() or local() variables
1127 Function and method names seem to work best as all lowercase.
1128 e.g., C<< $obj->as_string() >>.
1130 You can use a leading underscore to indicate that a variable or
1131 function should not be used outside the package that defined it.
1135 Select what to export.
1137 Do NOT export method names!
1139 Do NOT export anything else by default without a good reason!
1141 Exports pollute the namespace of the module user. If you must
1142 export try to use @EXPORT_OK in preference to @EXPORT and avoid
1143 short or common names to reduce the risk of name clashes.
1145 Generally anything not exported is still accessible from outside the
1146 module using the ModuleName::item_name (or C<< $blessed_ref->method >>)
1147 syntax. By convention you can use a leading underscore on names to
1148 indicate informally that they are 'internal' and not for public use.
1150 (It is actually possible to get private functions by saying:
1151 C<my $subref = sub { ... }; &$subref;>. But there's no way to call that
1152 directly as a method, because a method must have a name in the symbol
1155 As a general rule, if the module is trying to be object oriented
1156 then export nothing. If it's just a collection of functions then
1157 @EXPORT_OK anything but use @EXPORT with caution.
1161 Select a name for the module.
1163 This name should be as descriptive, accurate, and complete as
1164 possible. Avoid any risk of ambiguity. Always try to use two or
1165 more whole words. Generally the name should reflect what is special
1166 about what the module does rather than how it does it. Please use
1167 nested module names to group informally or categorize a module.
1168 There should be a very good reason for a module not to have a nested name.
1169 Module names should begin with a capital letter.
1171 Having 57 modules all called Sort will not make life easy for anyone
1172 (though having 23 called Sort::Quick is only marginally better :-).
1173 Imagine someone trying to install your module alongside many others.
1174 If in any doubt ask for suggestions in comp.lang.perl.misc.
1176 If you are developing a suite of related modules/classes it's good
1177 practice to use nested classes with a common prefix as this will
1178 avoid namespace clashes. For example: Xyz::Control, Xyz::View,
1179 Xyz::Model etc. Use the modules in this list as a naming guide.
1181 If adding a new module to a set, follow the original author's
1182 standards for naming modules and the interface to methods in
1185 If developing modules for private internal or project specific use,
1186 that will never be released to the public, then you should ensure
1187 that their names will not clash with any future public module. You
1188 can do this either by using the reserved Local::* category or by
1189 using a category name that includes an underscore like Foo_Corp::*.
1191 To be portable each component of a module name should be limited to
1192 11 characters. If it might be used on MS-DOS then try to ensure each is
1193 unique in the first 8 characters. Nested modules make this easier.
1197 Have you got it right?
1199 How do you know that you've made the right decisions? Have you
1200 picked an interface design that will cause problems later? Have
1201 you picked the most appropriate name? Do you have any questions?
1203 The best way to know for sure, and pick up many helpful suggestions,
1204 is to ask someone who knows. Comp.lang.perl.misc is read by just about
1205 all the people who develop modules and it's the best place to ask.
1207 All you need to do is post a short summary of the module, its
1208 purpose and interfaces. A few lines on each of the main methods is
1209 probably enough. (If you post the whole module it might be ignored
1210 by busy people - generally the very people you want to read it!)
1212 Don't worry about posting if you can't say when the module will be
1213 ready - just say so in the message. It might be worth inviting
1214 others to help you, they may be able to complete it for you!
1218 README and other Additional Files.
1220 It's well known that software developers usually fully document the
1221 software they write. If, however, the world is in urgent need of
1222 your software and there is not enough time to write the full
1223 documentation please at least provide a README file containing:
1229 A description of the module/package/extension etc.
1233 A copyright notice - see below.
1237 Prerequisites - what else you may need to have.
1241 How to build it - possible changes to Makefile.PL etc.
1249 Recent changes in this release, especially incompatibilities
1253 Changes / enhancements you plan to make in the future.
1257 If the README file seems to be getting too large you may wish to
1258 split out some of the sections into separate files: INSTALL,
1265 Adding a Copyright Notice.
1267 How you choose to license your work is a personal decision.
1268 The general mechanism is to assert your Copyright and then make
1269 a declaration of how others may copy/use/modify your work.
1271 Perl, for example, is supplied with two types of licence: The GNU
1272 GPL and The Artistic Licence (see the files README, Copying, and
1273 Artistic). Larry has good reasons for NOT just using the GNU GPL.
1275 My personal recommendation, out of respect for Larry, Perl, and the
1276 Perl community at large is to state something simply like:
1278 Copyright (c) 1995 Your Name. All rights reserved.
1279 This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
1280 modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.
1282 This statement should at least appear in the README file. You may
1283 also wish to include it in a Copying file and your source files.
1284 Remember to include the other words in addition to the Copyright.
1288 Give the module a version/issue/release number.
1290 To be fully compatible with the Exporter and MakeMaker modules you
1291 should store your module's version number in a non-my package
1292 variable called $VERSION. This should be a floating point
1293 number with at least two digits after the decimal (i.e., hundredths,
1294 e.g, C<$VERSION = "0.01">). Don't use a "1.3.2" style version.
1295 See L<Exporter> for details.
1297 It may be handy to add a function or method to retrieve the number.
1298 Use the number in announcements and archive file names when
1299 releasing the module (ModuleName-1.02.tar.Z).
1300 See perldoc ExtUtils::MakeMaker.pm for details.
1304 How to release and distribute a module.
1306 It's good idea to post an announcement of the availability of your
1307 module (or the module itself if small) to the comp.lang.perl.announce
1308 Usenet newsgroup. This will at least ensure very wide once-off
1311 If possible, register the module with CPAN. You should
1312 include details of its location in your announcement.
1314 Some notes about ftp archives: Please use a long descriptive file
1315 name that includes the version number. Most incoming directories
1316 will not be readable/listable, i.e., you won't be able to see your
1317 file after uploading it. Remember to send your email notification
1318 message as soon as possible after uploading else your file may get
1319 deleted automatically. Allow time for the file to be processed
1320 and/or check the file has been processed before announcing its
1323 FTP Archives for Perl Modules:
1325 Follow the instructions and links on:
1327 http://www.cpan.org/modules/00modlist.long.html
1328 http://www.cpan.org/modules/04pause.html
1330 or upload to one of these sites:
1332 https://pause.kbx.de/pause/
1333 http://pause.perl.org/pause/
1335 and notify <modules@perl.org>.
1337 By using the WWW interface you can ask the Upload Server to mirror
1338 your modules from your ftp or WWW site into your own directory on
1341 Please remember to send me an updated entry for the Module list!
1345 Take care when changing a released module.
1347 Always strive to remain compatible with previous released versions.
1348 Otherwise try to add a mechanism to revert to the
1349 old behavior if people rely on it. Document incompatible changes.
1355 =head2 Guidelines for Converting Perl 4 Library Scripts into Modules
1361 There is no requirement to convert anything.
1363 If it ain't broke, don't fix it! Perl 4 library scripts should
1364 continue to work with no problems. You may need to make some minor
1365 changes (like escaping non-array @'s in double quoted strings) but
1366 there is no need to convert a .pl file into a Module for just that.
1370 Consider the implications.
1372 All Perl applications that make use of the script will need to
1373 be changed (slightly) if the script is converted into a module. Is
1374 it worth it unless you plan to make other changes at the same time?
1378 Make the most of the opportunity.
1380 If you are going to convert the script to a module you can use the
1381 opportunity to redesign the interface. The guidelines for module
1382 creation above include many of the issues you should consider.
1386 The pl2pm utility will get you started.
1388 This utility will read *.pl files (given as parameters) and write
1389 corresponding *.pm files. The pl2pm utilities does the following:
1395 Adds the standard Module prologue lines
1399 Converts package specifiers from ' to ::
1403 Converts die(...) to croak(...)
1407 Several other minor changes
1411 Being a mechanical process pl2pm is not bullet proof. The converted
1412 code will need careful checking, especially any package statements.
1413 Don't delete the original .pl file till the new .pm one works!
1417 =head2 Guidelines for Reusing Application Code
1423 Complete applications rarely belong in the Perl Module Library.
1427 Many applications contain some Perl code that could be reused.
1429 Help save the world! Share your code in a form that makes it easy
1434 Break-out the reusable code into one or more separate module files.
1438 Take the opportunity to reconsider and redesign the interfaces.
1442 In some cases the 'application' can then be reduced to a small
1444 fragment of code built on top of the reusable modules. In these cases
1445 the application could invoked as:
1447 % perl -e 'use Module::Name; method(@ARGV)' ...
1449 % perl -mModule::Name ... (in perl5.002 or higher)
1455 Perl does not enforce private and public parts of its modules as you may
1456 have been used to in other languages like C++, Ada, or Modula-17. Perl
1457 doesn't have an infatuation with enforced privacy. It would prefer
1458 that you stayed out of its living room because you weren't invited, not
1459 because it has a shotgun.
1461 The module and its user have a contract, part of which is common law,
1462 and part of which is "written". Part of the common law contract is
1463 that a module doesn't pollute any namespace it wasn't asked to. The
1464 written contract for the module (A.K.A. documentation) may make other
1465 provisions. But then you know when you C<use RedefineTheWorld> that
1466 you're redefining the world and willing to take the consequences.
1469 close MANIFEST or warn "$0: failed to close MANIFEST (../MANIFEST): $!";
1470 close OUT or warn "$0: failed to close OUT (perlmodlib.tmp): $!";