2 Generated by perlmodlib.PL -- DO NOT EDIT!
6 perlmodlib - constructing new Perl modules and finding existing ones
8 =head1 THE PERL MODULE LIBRARY
10 Many modules are included in the Perl distribution. These are described
11 below, and all end in F<.pm>. You may discover compiled library
12 files (usually ending in F<.so>) or small pieces of modules to be
13 autoloaded (ending in F<.al>); these were automatically generated
14 by the installation process. You may also discover files in the
15 library directory that end in either F<.pl> or F<.ph>. These are
16 old libraries supplied so that old programs that use them still
17 run. The F<.pl> files will all eventually be converted into standard
18 modules, and the F<.ph> files made by B<h2ph> will probably end up
19 as extension modules made by B<h2xs>. (Some F<.ph> values may
20 already be available through the POSIX, Errno, or Fcntl modules.)
21 The B<pl2pm> file in the distribution may help in your conversion,
22 but it's just a mechanical process and therefore far from bulletproof.
24 =head2 Pragmatic Modules
26 They work somewhat like compiler directives (pragmata) in that they
27 tend to affect the compilation of your program, and thus will usually
28 work well only when used within a C<use>, or C<no>. Most of these
29 are lexically scoped, so an inner BLOCK may countermand them
36 which lasts until the end of that BLOCK.
38 Some pragmas are lexically scoped--typically those that affect the
39 C<$^H> hints variable. Others affect the current package instead,
40 like C<use vars> and C<use subs>, which allow you to predeclare a
41 variables or subroutines within a particular I<file> rather than
42 just a block. Such declarations are effective for the entire file
43 for which they were declared. You cannot rescind them with C<no
46 The following pragmas are defined (and have their own documentation).
54 =item assertions::activate
60 Get/set subroutine or variable attributes
64 Set/get attributes of a subroutine (deprecated)
68 Postpone load of modules until a function is used
72 Establish IS-A relationship with base class at compile time
76 Transparent BigInteger support for Perl
80 Transparent BigNumber support for Perl
84 Transparent BigNumber/BigRationale support for Perl
88 Use MakeMaker's uninstalled version of a package
92 Force byte semantics rather than character semantics
96 Define character names for C<\N{named}> string literal escapes
104 Perl compiler pragma to force verbose warning diagnostics
108 Allows you to write your script in non-ascii or non-utf8
112 Compile-time class fields
116 Control the filetest permission operators
120 C<use> a Perl module if a condition holds
124 Use integer arithmetic instead of floating point
128 Request less of something from the compiler
132 Manipulate @INC at compile time
136 Use and avoid POSIX locales for built-in operations
140 Set default PerlIO layers for input and output
144 Restrict unsafe operations when compiling
148 Package for overloading perl operations
152 Alter regular expression behaviour
156 Enable simple signal handling
160 Control sort() behaviour
164 Restrict unsafe constructs
172 Perl extension allowing use of interpreter based threads from perl
174 =item threads::shared
176 Perl extension for sharing data structures between threads
180 Enable/disable UTF-8 (or UTF-EBCDIC) in source code
184 Predeclare global variable names (obsolete)
188 Perl extension for Version Objects
192 Control VMS-specific language features
196 Control optional warnings
198 =item warnings::register
200 Warnings import function
204 =head2 Standard Modules
206 Standard, bundled modules are all expected to behave in a well-defined
207 manner with respect to namespace pollution because they use the
208 Exporter module. See their own documentation for details.
210 It's possible that not all modules listed below are installed on your
211 system. For example, the GDBM_File module will not be installed if you
212 don't have the gdbm library.
218 Provide framework for multiple DBMs
220 =item Attribute::Handlers
222 Simpler definition of attribute handlers
226 Load subroutines only on demand
230 Split a package for autoloading
238 Autogenerated data about Perl ops, used to generate bytecode
242 Assemble Perl bytecode
250 Perl compiler's bytecode backend
254 Perl compiler's C backend
258 Perl compiler's optimized C translation backend
262 Walk Perl syntax tree, printing concise info about ops
266 Walk Perl syntax tree, printing debug info about ops
270 Perl compiler backend to produce perl code
272 =item B::Disassembler
274 Disassemble Perl bytecode
282 Show lexical variables used in functions or files
286 Helper module for CC backend
290 Show what stashes are loaded
294 Walk Perl syntax tree, printing terse info about ops
298 Generates cross reference reports for Perl programs
302 Benchmark running times of Perl code
306 Load byte compiled perl code
310 Simple Common Gateway Interface Class
314 Backward compatibility module for CGI.pm
318 CGI routines for writing to the HTTPD (or other) error log
322 Interface to Netscape Cookies
326 CGI Interface for Fast CGI
330 Module to produce nicely formatted HTML code
334 Simple Interface to Server Push
338 Backward compatibility module for defunct CGI::Switch
342 Internal utilities used by CGI module
346 Query, download and build perl modules from CPAN sites
348 =item CPAN::FirstTime
350 Utility for CPAN::Config file Initialization
354 Wrapper around CPAN.pm without using any XS module
358 Warn of errors (from perspective of caller)
362 No user serviceable parts inside
366 Report the search path for a class's ISA tree
370 Declare struct-like datatypes as Perl classes
374 Access Perl configuration information
378 Get pathname of current working directory
382 Programmatic interface to the Perl debugging API (draft, subject to
386 Perl5 access to Berkeley DB version 1.x
390 Stringified perl data structures, suitable for both printing and C<eval>
398 Perl/Pollution/Portability
402 A data debugging tool for the XS programmer
404 =item Devel::SelfStubber
406 Generate stubs for a SelfLoading module
410 Modules that calculate message digests
414 Perl interface to the MD5 Algorithm
418 Supply object methods for directory handles
422 Provides screen dump of Perl data.
426 Dynamically load C libraries into Perl code
434 Alias definitions to encodings
438 Single Byte Encodings
440 =item Encode::CJKConstants
442 Internally used by Encode::??::ISO_2022_*
446 China-based Chinese Encodings
450 Internally used by Encode::CN
454 Internally used by Encode
460 =item Encode::Encoder
462 Object Oriented Encoder
464 =item Encode::Encoding
466 Encode Implementation Base Class
470 Guesses encoding from data
476 =item Encode::JP::H2Z
478 Internally used by Encode::JP::2022_JP*
480 =item Encode::JP::JIS7
482 Internally used by Encode::JP
488 =item Encode::KR::2022_KR
490 Internally used by Encode::KR
492 =item Encode::MIME::Header
494 MIME 'B' and 'Q' header encoding
498 A detailed document on Encode and PerlIO
500 =item Encode::Supported
502 Encodings supported by Encode
510 Taiwan-based Chinese Encodings
512 =item Encode::Unicode
514 Various Unicode Transformation Formats
516 =item Encode::Unicode::UTF7
522 Use nice English (or awk) names for ugly punctuation variables
526 Perl module that imports environment variables as scalars or arrays
530 System errno constants
534 Implements default import method for modules
536 =item Exporter::Heavy
540 =item ExtUtils::Command
542 Utilities to replace common UNIX commands in Makefiles etc.
544 =item ExtUtils::Command::MM
546 Commands for the MM's to use in Makefiles
548 =item ExtUtils::Constant
550 Generate XS code to import C header constants
552 =item ExtUtils::Embed
554 Utilities for embedding Perl in C/C++ applications
556 =item ExtUtils::Install
558 Install files from here to there
560 =item ExtUtils::Installed
562 Inventory management of installed modules
564 =item ExtUtils::Liblist
566 Determine libraries to use and how to use them
570 OS adjusted ExtUtils::MakeMaker subclass
572 =item ExtUtils::MM_Any
574 Platform agnostic MM methods
576 =item ExtUtils::MM_BeOS
578 Methods to override UN*X behaviour in ExtUtils::MakeMaker
580 =item ExtUtils::MM_Cygwin
582 Methods to override UN*X behaviour in ExtUtils::MakeMaker
584 =item ExtUtils::MM_DOS
586 DOS specific subclass of ExtUtils::MM_Unix
588 =item ExtUtils::MM_MacOS
590 Methods to override UN*X behaviour in ExtUtils::MakeMaker
592 =item ExtUtils::MM_NW5
594 Methods to override UN*X behaviour in ExtUtils::MakeMaker
596 =item ExtUtils::MM_OS2
598 Methods to override UN*X behaviour in ExtUtils::MakeMaker
600 =item ExtUtils::MM_UWIN
602 U/WIN specific subclass of ExtUtils::MM_Unix
604 =item ExtUtils::MM_Unix
606 Methods used by ExtUtils::MakeMaker
608 =item ExtUtils::MM_VMS
610 Methods to override UN*X behaviour in ExtUtils::MakeMaker
612 =item ExtUtils::MM_Win32
614 Methods to override UN*X behaviour in ExtUtils::MakeMaker
616 =item ExtUtils::MM_Win95
618 Method to customize MakeMaker for Win9X
622 ExtUtils::MakeMaker subclass for customization
624 =item ExtUtils::MakeMaker
626 Create a module Makefile
628 =item ExtUtils::MakeMaker::FAQ
630 Frequently Asked Questions About MakeMaker
632 =item ExtUtils::MakeMaker::Tutorial
634 Writing a module with MakeMaker
636 =item ExtUtils::MakeMaker::bytes
638 Version agnostic bytes.pm
640 =item ExtUtils::MakeMaker::vmsish
642 Platform agnostic vmsish.pm
644 =item ExtUtils::Manifest
646 Utilities to write and check a MANIFEST file
648 =item ExtUtils::Mkbootstrap
650 Make a bootstrap file for use by DynaLoader
652 =item ExtUtils::Mksymlists
654 Write linker options files for dynamic extension
656 =item ExtUtils::Packlist
658 Manage .packlist files
660 =item ExtUtils::testlib
662 Add blib/* directories to @INC
666 Replace functions with equivalents which succeed or die
670 Load the C Fcntl.h defines
674 Split a pathname into pieces
676 =item File::CheckTree
678 Run many filetest checks on a tree
682 Compare files or filehandles
686 Copy files or filehandles
690 DOS like globbing and then some
694 Traverse a directory tree.
698 Perl extension for BSD glob routine
702 Create or remove directory trees
706 Portably perform operations on file names
708 =item File::Spec::Cygwin
710 Methods for Cygwin file specs
712 =item File::Spec::Epoc
714 Methods for Epoc file specs
716 =item File::Spec::Functions
718 Portably perform operations on file names
720 =item File::Spec::Mac
722 File::Spec for Mac OS (Classic)
724 =item File::Spec::OS2
726 Methods for OS/2 file specs
728 =item File::Spec::Unix
730 File::Spec for Unix, base for other File::Spec modules
732 =item File::Spec::VMS
734 Methods for VMS file specs
736 =item File::Spec::Win32
738 Methods for Win32 file specs
742 Return name and handle of a temporary file safely
746 By-name interface to Perl's built-in stat() functions
750 Keep more files open than the system permits
754 Supply object methods for filehandles
758 Simplified source filtering
760 =item Filter::Util::Call
762 Perl Source Filter Utility Module
766 Locate directory of original perl script
770 Perl5 access to the gdbm library.
774 Extended processing of command line options
778 Process single-character switches with switch clustering
782 A selection of general-utility hash subroutines
786 Compare 8-bit scalar data according to the current locale
790 Functions for dealing with RFC3066-style language tags
792 =item I18N::LangTags::List
794 Tags and names for human languages
798 Query locale information
802 Load various IO modules
806 Supply object methods for directory handles
810 Supply object methods for filehandles
814 Supply object methods for I/O handles
818 Supply object methods for pipes
822 Object interface to system poll call
826 Supply seek based methods for I/O objects
830 OO interface to the select system call
834 Object interface to socket communications
836 =item IO::Socket::INET
838 Object interface for AF_INET domain sockets
840 =item IO::Socket::UNIX
842 Object interface for AF_UNIX domain sockets
846 Open a process for both reading and writing
850 Open a process for reading, writing, and error handling
858 SysV Msg IPC object class
860 =item IPC::SysV::Semaphore
862 SysV Semaphore IPC object class
866 A selection of general-utility list subroutines
868 =item Locale::Constants
870 Constants for Locale codes
872 =item Locale::Country
874 ISO codes for country identification (ISO 3166)
876 =item Locale::Currency
878 ISO three letter codes for currency identification (ISO 4217)
880 =item Locale::Language
882 ISO two letter codes for language identification (ISO 639)
884 =item Locale::Maketext
886 Framework for localization
888 =item Locale::Maketext::TPJ13
890 Article about software localization
894 ISO codes for script identification (ISO 15924)
898 Encoding and decoding of base64 strings
900 =item MIME::Base64::QuotedPrint
902 Encoding and decoding of quoted-printable strings
906 Arbitrary size floating point math package
910 Arbitrary size integer math package
912 =item Math::BigInt::Calc
914 Pure Perl module to support Math::BigInt
916 =item Math::BigInt::Scalar
918 Pure Perl module to test Math::BigInt with scalars
922 Arbitrarily big rationales
926 Complex numbers and associated mathematical functions
930 Trigonometric functions
934 Make functions faster by trading space for time
936 =item Memoize::AnyDBM_File
938 Glue to provide EXISTS for AnyDBM_File for Storable use
940 =item Memoize::Expire
942 Plug-in module for automatic expiration of memoized values
944 =item Memoize::ExpireFile
946 Test for Memoize expiration semantics
948 =item Memoize::ExpireTest
950 Test for Memoize expiration semantics
952 =item Memoize::NDBM_File
954 Glue to provide EXISTS for NDBM_File for Storable use
956 =item Memoize::SDBM_File
958 Glue to provide EXISTS for SDBM_File for Storable use
960 =item Memoize::Storable
962 Store Memoized data in Storable database
966 Tied access to ndbm files
970 Provide a pseudo-class NEXT that allows method redispatch
974 Network Command class (as used by FTP, SMTP etc)
978 Local configuration data for libnet
982 Attempt to evaluate the current host's internet name and domain
994 OO interface to users netrc file
998 Post Office Protocol 3 Client class (RFC1939)
1002 Check a remote host for reachability
1006 Simple Mail Transfer Protocol Client
1010 Time and daytime network client interface
1014 By-name interface to Perl's built-in gethost*() functions
1016 =item Net::libnetFAQ
1018 Libnet Frequently Asked Questions
1022 By-name interface to Perl's built-in getnet*() functions
1026 By-name interface to Perl's built-in getproto*() functions
1030 By-name interface to Perl's built-in getserv*() functions
1034 Generic interface to Perl Compiler backends
1038 Tied access to odbm files
1042 Disable named opcodes when compiling perl code
1046 Perl interface to IEEE Std 1003.1
1050 On demand loader for PerlIO layers and root of PerlIO::* name space
1052 =item PerlIO::encoding
1056 =item PerlIO::scalar
1058 Support module for in-memory IO.
1062 Helper class for PerlIO layers implemented in perl
1064 =item PerlIO::via::QuotedPrint
1066 PerlIO layer for quoted-printable strings
1070 Check pod documents for syntax errors
1074 Find POD documents in directory trees
1076 =item Pod::Functions
1078 Group Perl's functions a la perlfunc.pod
1082 Module to convert pod files to HTML
1084 =item Pod::InputObjects
1086 Objects representing POD input paragraphs, commands, etc.
1090 Convert Pod data to formatted Latex
1094 Convert POD data to formatted *roff input
1096 =item Pod::ParseLink
1098 Parse an LE<lt>E<gt> formatting code in POD text
1100 =item Pod::ParseUtils
1102 Helpers for POD parsing and conversion
1106 Base class for creating POD filters and translators
1108 =item Pod::Perldoc::ToChecker
1110 Let Perldoc check Pod for errors
1112 =item Pod::Perldoc::ToMan
1114 Let Perldoc render Pod as man pages
1116 =item Pod::Perldoc::ToNroff
1118 Let Perldoc convert Pod to nroff
1120 =item Pod::Perldoc::ToPod
1122 Let Perldoc render Pod as ... Pod!
1124 =item Pod::Perldoc::ToRtf
1126 Let Perldoc render Pod as RTF
1128 =item Pod::Perldoc::ToText
1130 Let Perldoc render Pod as plaintext
1132 =item Pod::Perldoc::ToTk
1134 Let Perldoc use Tk::Pod to render Pod
1136 =item Pod::Perldoc::ToXml
1138 Let Perldoc render Pod as XML
1140 =item Pod::PlainText
1142 Convert POD data to formatted ASCII text
1146 Perl extension for converting Pod to old style Pod.
1150 Extract selected sections of POD from input
1154 Convert POD data to formatted ASCII text
1156 =item Pod::Text::Color
1158 Convert POD data to formatted color ASCII text
1160 =item Pod::Text::Overstrike
1162 Convert POD data to formatted overstrike text
1164 =item Pod::Text::Termcap
1166 Convert POD data to ASCII text with format escapes
1170 Print a usage message from embedded pod documentation
1174 Tied access to sdbm files
1178 Compile and execute code in restricted compartments
1182 A selection of general-utility scalar subroutines
1186 Search for key in dictionary file
1190 Save and restore selected file handle
1194 Load functions only on demand
1198 Run shell commands transparently within perl
1202 Load the C socket.h defines and structure manipulators
1206 Persistence for Perl data structures
1210 A switch statement for Perl
1214 Manipulate Perl symbols and their names
1218 Try every conceivable way to get hostname
1222 Perl interface to the UNIX syslog(3) calls
1224 =item Term::ANSIColor
1226 Color screen output using ANSI escape sequences
1230 Perl termcap interface
1232 =item Term::Complete
1234 Perl word completion module
1236 =item Term::ReadLine
1238 Perl interface to various C<readline> packages.
1242 Provides a simple framework for writing test scripts
1246 Backend for building test libraries
1250 Run perl standard test scripts with statistics
1252 =item Test::Harness::Assert
1256 =item Test::Harness::Iterator
1258 Internal Test::Harness Iterator
1260 =item Test::Harness::Straps
1262 Detailed analysis of test results
1266 Yet another framework for writing test scripts
1270 Basic utilities for writing tests.
1272 =item Test::Tutorial
1274 A tutorial about writing really basic tests
1278 Create an abbreviation table from a list
1280 =item Text::Balanced
1282 Extract delimited text sequences from strings.
1284 =item Text::ParseWords
1286 Parse text into an array of tokens or array of arrays
1290 Implementation of the Soundex Algorithm as Described by Knuth
1294 Expand and unexpand tabs per the unix expand(1) and unexpand(1)
1298 Line wrapping to form simple paragraphs
1302 Manipulate threads in Perl (for old code only)
1308 =item Thread::Semaphore
1310 Thread-safe semaphores
1312 =item Thread::Signal
1314 Start a thread which runs signal handlers reliably (for old code)
1316 =item Thread::Specific
1318 Thread-specific keys
1322 Base class for tied arrays
1326 Access the lines of a disk file via a Perl array
1330 Base class definitions for tied handles
1334 Base class definitions for tied hashes
1338 Add data to hash when needed
1342 Use references as hash keys
1346 Base class definitions for tied scalars
1348 =item Tie::SubstrHash
1350 Fixed-table-size, fixed-key-length hashing
1354 High resolution alarm, sleep, gettimeofday, interval timers
1358 Efficiently compute time from local and GMT time
1362 By-name interface to Perl's built-in gmtime() function
1364 =item Time::localtime
1366 By-name interface to Perl's built-in localtime() function
1370 Internal object used by Time::gmtime and Time::localtime
1374 Base class for ALL classes (blessed references)
1376 =item Unicode::Collate
1378 Unicode Collation Algorithm
1380 =item Unicode::Normalize
1382 Unicode Normalization Forms
1386 Unicode character database
1390 By-name interface to Perl's built-in getgr*() functions
1394 By-name interface to Perl's built-in getpw*() functions
1398 Interfaces to some Win32 API Functions
1406 Module to test the XS typemaps distributed with perl
1410 Dynamically load C libraries into Perl code
1414 To find out I<all> modules installed on your system, including
1415 those without documentation or outside the standard release,
1416 just use the following command (under the default win32 shell,
1417 double quotes should be used instead of single quotes).
1419 % perl -MFile::Find=find -MFile::Spec::Functions -Tlwe \
1420 'find { wanted => sub { print canonpath $_ if /\.pm\z/ },
1421 no_chdir => 1 }, @INC'
1423 (The -T is here to prevent '.' from being listed in @INC.)
1424 They should all have their own documentation installed and accessible
1425 via your system man(1) command. If you do not have a B<find>
1426 program, you can use the Perl B<find2perl> program instead, which
1427 generates Perl code as output you can run through perl. If you
1428 have a B<man> program but it doesn't find your modules, you'll have
1429 to fix your manpath. See L<perl> for details. If you have no
1430 system B<man> command, you might try the B<perldoc> program.
1432 Note also that the command C<perldoc perllocal> gives you a (possibly
1433 incomplete) list of the modules that have been further installed on
1434 your system. (The perllocal.pod file is updated by the standard MakeMaker
1437 =head2 Extension Modules
1439 Extension modules are written in C (or a mix of Perl and C). They
1440 are usually dynamically loaded into Perl if and when you need them,
1441 but may also be linked in statically. Supported extension modules
1442 include Socket, Fcntl, and POSIX.
1444 Many popular C extension modules do not come bundled (at least, not
1445 completely) due to their sizes, volatility, or simply lack of time
1446 for adequate testing and configuration across the multitude of
1447 platforms on which Perl was beta-tested. You are encouraged to
1448 look for them on CPAN (described below), or using web search engines
1449 like Alta Vista or Google.
1453 CPAN stands for Comprehensive Perl Archive Network; it's a globally
1454 replicated trove of Perl materials, including documentation, style
1455 guides, tricks and traps, alternate ports to non-Unix systems and
1456 occasional binary distributions for these. Search engines for
1457 CPAN can be found at http://www.cpan.org/
1459 Most importantly, CPAN includes around a thousand unbundled modules,
1460 some of which require a C compiler to build. Major categories of
1467 Language Extensions and Documentation Tools
1475 Operating System Interfaces
1479 Networking, Device Control (modems) and InterProcess Communication
1483 Data Types and Data Type Utilities
1495 Interfaces to / Emulations of Other Programming Languages
1499 File Names, File Systems and File Locking (see also File Handles)
1503 String Processing, Language Text Processing, Parsing, and Searching
1507 Option, Argument, Parameter, and Configuration File Processing
1511 Internationalization and Locale
1515 Authentication, Security, and Encryption
1519 World Wide Web, HTML, HTTP, CGI, MIME
1523 Server and Daemon Utilities
1527 Archiving and Compression
1531 Images, Pixmap and Bitmap Manipulation, Drawing, and Graphing
1535 Mail and Usenet News
1539 Control Flow Utilities (callbacks and exceptions etc)
1543 File Handle and Input/Output Stream Utilities
1547 Miscellaneous Modules
1551 The list of the registered CPAN sites as of this writing follows.
1552 Please note that the sorting order is alphabetical on fields:
1558 |-->[state/province]
1564 and thus the North American servers happen to be listed between the
1565 European and the South American sites.
1567 You should try to choose one close to you.
1575 ftp://ftp.is.co.za/programming/perl/CPAN/
1576 ftp://ftp.mweb.co.za/pub/mirrors/cpan/
1577 ftp://ftp.saix.net/pub/CPAN/
1578 ftp://ftp.sun.ac.za/CPAN/CPAN/
1588 ftp://freesoft.cei.gov.cn/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
1589 http://www2.linuxforum.net/mirror/CPAN/
1590 http://cpan.shellhung.org/
1591 ftp://ftp.shellhung.org/pub/CPAN
1595 http://cpan.in.freeos.com
1596 ftp://cpan.in.freeos.com/pub/CPAN/
1600 http://cpan.itb.web.id/
1601 ftp://mirrors.piksi.itb.ac.id/CPAN/
1602 http://cpan.cbn.net.id/
1603 ftp://ftp.cbn.net.id/mirror/CPAN
1604 http://CPAN.mweb.co.id/
1605 ftp://ftp.mweb.co.id/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
1609 http://www.iglu.org.il:/pub/CPAN/
1610 ftp://ftp.iglu.org.il/pub/CPAN/
1611 http://cpan.lerner.co.il/
1612 http://bioinfo.weizmann.ac.il/pub/software/perl/CPAN/
1613 ftp://bioinfo.weizmann.ac.il/pub/software/perl/CPAN/
1617 ftp://ftp.u-aizu.ac.jp/pub/CPAN
1618 ftp://ftp.kddlabs.co.jp/CPAN/
1619 http://mirror.nucba.ac.jp/mirror/Perl/
1620 ftp://mirror.nucba.ac.jp/mirror/Perl/
1621 ftp://ftp.meisei-u.ac.jp/pub/CPAN/
1622 ftp://ftp.ayamura.org/pub/CPAN/
1623 ftp://ftp.jaist.ac.jp/pub/lang/perl/CPAN/
1624 ftp://ftp.dti.ad.jp/pub/lang/CPAN/
1625 ftp://ftp.ring.gr.jp/pub/lang/perl/CPAN/
1629 http://mirror.Mazic.org/pub/CPAN
1630 ftp://mirror.Mazic.org/pub/CPAN
1634 http://www.adzu.edu.ph/CPAN
1636 =item Russian Federation
1638 http://cpan.tomsk.ru
1639 ftp://cpan.tomsk.ru/pub/CPAN
1643 ftp://ftp.isu.net.sa/pub/CPAN/
1647 http://cpan.hjc.edu.sg
1648 http://mirror.averse.net/pub/CPAN
1649 ftp://mirror.averse.net/pub/CPAN
1653 http://CPAN.bora.net/
1654 ftp://ftp.bora.net/pub/CPAN/
1655 http://ftp.kornet.net/pub/CPAN/
1656 ftp://ftp.kornet.net/pub/CPAN/
1657 ftp://ftp.nuri.net/pub/CPAN/
1658 http://ftp.xgate.co.kr/cpan/
1659 ftp://ftp.xgate.co.kr/pub/mirror/CPAN
1663 ftp://ftp.nctu.edu.tw/UNIX/perl/CPAN
1664 ftp://ftp.ee.ncku.edu.tw/pub/perl/CPAN/
1665 ftp://ftp1.sinica.edu.tw/pub1/perl/CPAN/
1666 http://ftp.tku.edu.tw/pub/CPAN/
1667 ftp://ftp.tku.edu.tw/pub/CPAN/
1671 ftp://ftp.loxinfo.co.th/pub/cpan/
1672 ftp://ftp.cs.riubon.ac.th/pub/mirrors/CPAN/
1676 =head2 Central America
1682 ftp://ftp.linux.co.cr/mirrors/CPAN/
1683 http://ftp.ucr.ac.cr/Unix/CPAN/
1684 ftp://ftp.ucr.ac.cr/pub/Unix/CPAN/
1694 ftp://ftp.tuwien.ac.at/pub/CPAN/
1698 http://ftp.easynet.be/pub/CPAN/
1699 ftp://ftp.easynet.be/pub/CPAN/
1700 http://cpan.skynet.be
1701 ftp://ftp.skynet.be/pub/CPAN
1702 ftp://ftp.kulnet.kuleuven.ac.be/pub/mirror/CPAN/
1706 http://cpan.lirex.net/
1707 ftp://ftp.lirex.net/pub/mirrors/CPAN
1711 http://ftp.linux.hr/pub/CPAN/
1712 ftp://ftp.linux.hr/pub/CPAN/
1714 =item Czech Republic
1716 http://ftp.fi.muni.cz/pub/CPAN/
1717 ftp://ftp.fi.muni.cz/pub/CPAN/
1718 ftp://sunsite.mff.cuni.cz/MIRRORS/ftp.funet.fi/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
1722 http://mirrors.sunsite.dk/cpan/
1723 ftp://sunsite.dk/mirrors/cpan/
1724 http://cpan.cybercity.dk
1725 http://www.cpan.dk/CPAN/
1726 ftp://www.cpan.dk/ftp.cpan.org/CPAN/
1730 ftp://ftp.ut.ee/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
1734 ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
1735 http://cpan.kpnqwest.fi/
1739 http://ftp.u-paris10.fr/perl/CPAN
1740 ftp://ftp.u-paris10.fr/perl/CPAN
1741 http://cpan.mirrors.easynet.fr/
1742 ftp://cpan.mirrors.easynet.fr/pub/ftp.cpan.org/
1743 ftp://ftp.club-internet.fr/pub/perl/CPAN/
1745 ftp://ftp.lip6.fr/pub/perl/CPAN/
1746 ftp://ftp.oleane.net/pub/mirrors/CPAN/
1747 ftp://ftp.pasteur.fr/pub/computing/CPAN/
1748 http://mir2.ovh.net/ftp.cpan.org
1749 ftp://mir1.ovh.net/ftp.cpan.org
1750 http://ftp.u-strasbg.fr/CPAN
1751 ftp://ftp.u-strasbg.fr/CPAN
1752 http://cpan.cict.fr/
1753 ftp://cpan.cict.fr/pub/CPAN/
1754 ftp://ftp.uvsq.fr/pub/perl/CPAN/
1758 ftp://ftp.rz.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/pub/CPAN/
1759 ftp://ftp.freenet.de/pub/ftp.cpan.org/pub/CPAN/
1760 ftp://ftp.uni-erlangen.de/pub/source/CPAN/
1761 ftp://ftp-stud.fht-esslingen.de/pub/Mirrors/CPAN
1762 http://pandemonium.tiscali.de/pub/CPAN/
1763 ftp://pandemonium.tiscali.de/pub/CPAN/
1764 http://ftp.gwdg.de/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
1765 ftp://ftp.gwdg.de/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
1766 ftp://ftp.uni-hamburg.de/pub/soft/lang/perl/CPAN/
1767 ftp://ftp.leo.org/pub/CPAN/
1768 http://cpan.noris.de/
1769 ftp://cpan.noris.de/pub/CPAN/
1770 ftp://ftp.mpi-sb.mpg.de/pub/perl/CPAN/
1771 ftp://ftp.gmd.de/mirrors/CPAN/
1775 ftp://ftp.acn.gr/pub/lang/perl/CPAN
1776 ftp://ftp.forthnet.gr/pub/languages/perl/CPAN
1777 ftp://ftp.ntua.gr/pub/lang/perl/
1781 http://cpan.artifact.hu/
1782 ftp://cpan.artifact.hu/CPAN/
1783 http://ftp.kfki.hu/packages/perl/CPAN/
1784 ftp://ftp.kfki.hu/pub/packages/perl/CPAN/
1788 http://ftp.rhnet.is/pub/CPAN/
1789 ftp://ftp.rhnet.is/pub/CPAN/
1793 http://cpan.indigo.ie/
1794 ftp://cpan.indigo.ie/pub/CPAN/
1795 http://sunsite.compapp.dcu.ie/pub/perl/
1796 ftp://sunsite.compapp.dcu.ie/pub/perl/
1800 http://cpan.nettuno.it/
1801 http://gusp.dyndns.org/CPAN/
1802 ftp://gusp.dyndns.org/pub/CPAN
1803 http://softcity.iol.it/cpan
1804 ftp://softcity.iol.it/pub/cpan
1805 ftp://ftp.unina.it/pub/Other/CPAN/CPAN/
1806 ftp://ftp.unipi.it/pub/mirror/perl/CPAN/
1807 ftp://cis.uniRoma2.it/CPAN/
1808 ftp://ftp.edisontel.it/pub/CPAN_Mirror/
1809 ftp://ftp.flashnet.it/pub/CPAN/
1813 http://kvin.lv/pub/CPAN/
1817 ftp://ftp.unix.lt/pub/CPAN/
1821 ftp://download.xs4all.nl/pub/mirror/CPAN/
1822 ftp://ftp.nl.uu.net/pub/CPAN/
1823 ftp://ftp.nluug.nl/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
1824 http://cpan.cybercomm.nl/
1825 ftp://mirror.cybercomm.nl/pub/CPAN
1826 ftp://ftp.cpan.nl/pub/CPAN/
1827 http://ftp.easynet.nl/mirror/CPAN
1828 ftp://ftp.easynet.nl/mirror/CPAN
1829 http://archive.cs.uu.nl/mirror/CPAN/
1830 ftp://ftp.cs.uu.nl/mirror/CPAN/
1834 ftp://ftp.uninett.no/pub/languages/perl/CPAN
1835 ftp://ftp.uit.no/pub/languages/perl/cpan/
1839 ftp://ftp.pk.edu.pl/pub/lang/perl/CPAN/
1840 ftp://ftp.mega.net.pl/pub/mirrors/ftp.perl.com/
1841 ftp://ftp.man.torun.pl/pub/doc/CPAN/
1842 ftp://sunsite.icm.edu.pl/pub/CPAN/
1846 ftp://ftp.ua.pt/pub/CPAN/
1847 ftp://perl.di.uminho.pt/pub/CPAN/
1848 http://cpan.dei.uc.pt/
1849 ftp://ftp.dei.uc.pt/pub/CPAN
1850 ftp://ftp.ist.utl.pt/pub/CPAN/
1852 ftp://cpan.ip.pt/pub/cpan/
1853 ftp://ftp.netc.pt/pub/CPAN/
1854 ftp://ftp.up.pt/pub/CPAN
1858 ftp://ftp.kappa.ro/pub/mirrors/ftp.perl.org/pub/CPAN/
1859 ftp://ftp.dntis.ro/pub/cpan/
1860 ftp://ftp.dnttm.ro/pub/CPAN/
1861 ftp://ftp.lasting.ro/pub/CPAN
1862 ftp://ftp.timisoara.roedu.net/mirrors/CPAN/
1866 ftp://ftp.chg.ru/pub/lang/perl/CPAN/
1867 http://cpan.rinet.ru/
1868 ftp://cpan.rinet.ru/pub/mirror/CPAN/
1869 ftp://ftp.aha.ru/pub/CPAN/
1870 http://cpan.sai.msu.ru/
1871 ftp://ftp.sai.msu.su/pub/lang/perl/CPAN/
1875 http://ftp.cvt.stuba.sk/pub/CPAN/
1876 ftp://ftp.cvt.stuba.sk/pub/CPAN/
1880 ftp://ftp.arnes.si/software/perl/CPAN/
1884 http://cpan.imasd.elmundo.es/
1885 ftp://ftp.rediris.es/mirror/CPAN/
1886 ftp://ftp.etse.urv.es/pub/perl/
1890 http://ftp.du.se/CPAN/
1891 ftp://ftp.du.se/pub/CPAN/
1892 ftp://mirror.dataphone.se/pub/CPAN
1893 ftp://ftp.sunet.se/pub/lang/perl/CPAN/
1897 ftp://ftp.danyk.ch/CPAN/
1898 ftp://sunsite.cnlab-switch.ch/mirror/CPAN/
1902 http://ftp.ulak.net.tr/perl/CPAN/
1903 ftp://ftp.ulak.net.tr/perl/CPAN
1904 ftp://sunsite.bilkent.edu.tr/pub/languages/CPAN/
1910 ftp://ftp.perl.org.ua/pub/CPAN/
1912 =item United Kingdom
1914 http://www.mirror.ac.uk/sites/ftp.funet.fi/pub/languages/perl/CPAN
1915 ftp://ftp.mirror.ac.uk/sites/ftp.funet.fi/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
1916 http://cpan.teleglobe.net/
1917 ftp://cpan.teleglobe.net/pub/CPAN
1918 http://cpan.crazygreek.co.uk
1919 ftp://ftp.demon.co.uk/pub/CPAN/
1920 http://cpan.m.flirble.org/
1921 ftp://ftp.flirble.org/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
1922 ftp://ftp.plig.org/pub/CPAN/
1923 http://mirror.uklinux.net/CPAN/
1924 ftp://mirror.uklinux.net/pub/CPAN/
1925 http://cpan.mirrors.clockerz.net/
1926 ftp://ftp.clockerz.net/pub/CPAN/
1927 ftp://usit.shef.ac.uk/pub/packages/CPAN/
1931 =head2 North America
1937 http://sunsite.ualberta.ca/pub/Mirror/CPAN/
1938 ftp://sunsite.ualberta.ca/pub/Mirror/CPAN/
1942 http://theoryx5.uwinnipeg.ca/pub/CPAN/
1943 ftp://theoryx5.uwinnipeg.ca/pub/CPAN/
1947 ftp://cpan.chebucto.ns.ca/pub/CPAN/
1951 ftp://ftp.crc.ca/pub/CPAN/
1955 http://cpan.mirror.smartworker.org/
1959 http://cpan.azc.uam.mx
1960 ftp://cpan.azc.uam.mx/mirrors/CPAN
1961 http://cpan.unam.mx/
1962 ftp://cpan.unam.mx/pub/CPAN
1963 http://www.msg.com.mx/CPAN/
1964 ftp://ftp.msg.com.mx/pub/CPAN/
1968 =head2 United States
1974 http://mirror.hiwaay.net/CPAN/
1975 ftp://mirror.hiwaay.net/CPAN/
1979 http://cpan.develooper.com/
1980 http://www.cpan.org/
1981 ftp://cpan.valueclick.com/pub/CPAN/
1982 http://mirrors.gossamer-threads.com/CPAN
1983 ftp://cpan.nas.nasa.gov/pub/perl/CPAN/
1984 http://mirrors.kernel.org/cpan/
1985 ftp://mirrors.kernel.org/pub/CPAN
1986 http://cpan.digisle.net/
1987 ftp://cpan.digisle.net/pub/CPAN
1988 http://www.perl.com/CPAN/
1989 http://download.sourceforge.net/mirrors/CPAN/
1993 ftp://ftp.cs.colorado.edu/pub/perl/CPAN/
1997 http://ftp.lug.udel.edu/pub/CPAN
1998 ftp://ftp.lug.udel.edu/pub/CPAN
2000 =item District of Columbia
2002 ftp://ftp.dc.aleron.net/pub/CPAN/
2006 ftp://ftp.cise.ufl.edu/pub/mirrors/CPAN/
2007 http://mirror.csit.fsu.edu/pub/CPAN/
2008 ftp://mirror.csit.fsu.edu/pub/CPAN/
2009 http://cpan.mirrors.nks.net/
2013 http://uiarchive.uiuc.edu/mirrors/ftp/cpan.cse.msu.edu/
2014 ftp://uiarchive.uiuc.edu/mirrors/ftp/cpan.cse.msu.edu/
2018 ftp://ftp.uwsg.iu.edu/pub/perl/CPAN/
2019 http://cpan.netnitco.net/
2020 ftp://cpan.netnitco.net/pub/mirrors/CPAN/
2021 http://archive.progeny.com/CPAN/
2022 ftp://archive.progeny.com/CPAN/
2023 ftp://cpan.in-span.net/
2024 http://csociety-ftp.ecn.purdue.edu/pub/CPAN
2025 ftp://csociety-ftp.ecn.purdue.edu/pub/CPAN
2029 http://cpan.uky.edu/
2030 ftp://cpan.uky.edu/pub/CPAN/
2034 ftp://ftp.ccs.neu.edu/net/mirrors/ftp.funet.fi/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
2035 http://cpan.mirrors.netnumina.com/
2036 ftp://mirrors.netnumina.com/cpan/
2040 ftp://cpan.cse.msu.edu/
2044 ftp://ftp.cpanel.net/pub/CPAN/
2045 http://cpan.teleglobe.net/
2046 ftp://cpan.teleglobe.net/pub/CPAN
2050 ftp://ftp.exobit.org/pub/perl/CPAN
2051 http://cpan.belfry.net/
2052 http://cpan.thepirtgroup.com/
2053 ftp://cpan.thepirtgroup.com/
2054 ftp://ftp.stealth.net/pub/CPAN/
2055 http://www.rge.com/pub/languages/perl/
2056 ftp://ftp.rge.com/pub/languages/perl/
2057 ftp://mirrors.cloud9.net/pub/mirrors/CPAN/
2059 =item North Carolina
2061 ftp://ftp.duke.edu/pub/perl/
2065 ftp://ftp.loaded.net/pub/CPAN/
2069 ftp://ftp.ou.edu/mirrors/CPAN/
2073 ftp://ftp.orst.edu/pub/CPAN
2077 http://ftp.epix.net/CPAN/
2078 ftp://ftp.epix.net/pub/languages/perl/
2079 http://mirrors.phenominet.com/pub/CPAN/
2080 ftp://mirrors.phenominet.com/pub/CPAN/
2081 http://cpan.pair.com/
2082 ftp://cpan.pair.com/pub/CPAN/
2083 ftp://carroll.cac.psu.edu/pub/CPAN/
2087 ftp://ftp.sunsite.utk.edu/pub/CPAN/
2091 http://ftp.sedl.org/pub/mirrors/CPAN/
2092 ftp://mirror.telentente.com/pub/CPAN
2096 ftp://mirror.xmission.com/CPAN/
2100 http://mirrors.rcn.net/pub/lang/CPAN/
2101 ftp://mirrors.rcn.net/pub/lang/CPAN/
2102 http://perl.secsup.org/
2103 ftp://perl.secsup.org/pub/perl/
2104 http://mirrors.phihost.com/CPAN/
2105 ftp://mirrors.phihost.com/CPAN/
2106 ftp://ruff.cs.jmu.edu/pub/CPAN/
2107 http://perl.Liquidation.com/CPAN/
2111 http://cpan.llarian.net/
2112 ftp://cpan.llarian.net/pub/CPAN/
2113 http://cpan.mirrorcentral.com/
2114 ftp://ftp.mirrorcentral.com/pub/CPAN/
2115 ftp://ftp-mirror.internap.com/pub/CPAN/
2119 http://mirror.sit.wisc.edu/pub/CPAN/
2120 ftp://mirror.sit.wisc.edu/pub/CPAN/
2130 http://ftp.planetmirror.com/pub/CPAN/
2131 ftp://ftp.planetmirror.com/pub/CPAN/
2132 ftp://mirror.aarnet.edu.au/pub/perl/CPAN/
2133 ftp://cpan.topend.com.au/pub/CPAN/
2137 ftp://ftp.auckland.ac.nz/pub/perl/CPAN/
2138 http://cpan.soa.co.nz/CPAN/
2142 =head2 South America
2148 ftp://mirrors.bannerlandia.com.ar/mirrors/CPAN/
2149 http://ftp.fcaglp.unlp.edu.ar/pub/CPAN/
2150 ftp://ftp.fcaglp.unlp.edu.ar/pub/CPAN/
2154 ftp://cpan.pop-mg.com.br/pub/CPAN/
2155 ftp://ftp.matrix.com.br/pub/perl/CPAN/
2159 http://cpan.netglobalis.net/
2160 ftp://cpan.netglobalis.net/pub/CPAN/
2164 =head2 RSYNC Mirrors
2166 ftp.fcaglp.unlp.edu.ar::CPAN
2167 cpan.mirror.smartworker.org::CPAN
2168 theoryx5.uwinnipeg.ca::CPAN
2169 ftp.shellhung.org::CPAN
2171 ftp.u-paris10.fr::CPAN
2173 ftp.gwdg.de::FTP/languages/perl/CPAN/
2175 CPAN.piksi.itb.ac.id::CPAN
2176 ftp.cbn.net.id::CPAN
2177 ftp.iglu.org.il::CPAN
2178 gusp.dyndns.org::cpan
2179 ftp.kddlabs.co.jp::cpan
2180 ftp.ayamura.org::pub/CPAN/
2181 mirror.averse.net::cpan
2182 cpan.teleglobe.net::CPAN
2184 archive.progeny.com::CPAN
2185 cpan.teleglobe.net::CPAN
2186 ftp.lug.udel.edu::cpan
2187 mirrors.kernel.org::mirrors/CPAN
2188 mirrors.phenominet.com::CPAN
2189 mirror.csit.fsu.edu::CPAN
2190 csociety-ftp.ecn.purdue.edu::CPAN
2192 For an up-to-date listing of CPAN sites,
2193 see http://www.cpan.org/SITES or ftp://www.cpan.org/SITES .
2195 =head1 Modules: Creation, Use, and Abuse
2197 (The following section is borrowed directly from Tim Bunce's modules
2198 file, available at your nearest CPAN site.)
2200 Perl implements a class using a package, but the presence of a
2201 package doesn't imply the presence of a class. A package is just a
2202 namespace. A class is a package that provides subroutines that can be
2203 used as methods. A method is just a subroutine that expects, as its
2204 first argument, either the name of a package (for "static" methods),
2205 or a reference to something (for "virtual" methods).
2207 A module is a file that (by convention) provides a class of the same
2208 name (sans the .pm), plus an import method in that class that can be
2209 called to fetch exported symbols. This module may implement some of
2210 its methods by loading dynamic C or C++ objects, but that should be
2211 totally transparent to the user of the module. Likewise, the module
2212 might set up an AUTOLOAD function to slurp in subroutine definitions on
2213 demand, but this is also transparent. Only the F<.pm> file is required to
2214 exist. See L<perlsub>, L<perltoot>, and L<AutoLoader> for details about
2215 the AUTOLOAD mechanism.
2217 =head2 Guidelines for Module Creation
2223 Do similar modules already exist in some form?
2225 If so, please try to reuse the existing modules either in whole or
2226 by inheriting useful features into a new class. If this is not
2227 practical try to get together with the module authors to work on
2228 extending or enhancing the functionality of the existing modules.
2229 A perfect example is the plethora of packages in perl4 for dealing
2230 with command line options.
2232 If you are writing a module to expand an already existing set of
2233 modules, please coordinate with the author of the package. It
2234 helps if you follow the same naming scheme and module interaction
2235 scheme as the original author.
2239 Try to design the new module to be easy to extend and reuse.
2241 Try to C<use warnings;> (or C<use warnings qw(...);>).
2242 Remember that you can add C<no warnings qw(...);> to individual blocks
2243 of code that need less warnings.
2245 Use blessed references. Use the two argument form of bless to bless
2246 into the class name given as the first parameter of the constructor,
2251 return bless {}, $class;
2254 or even this if you'd like it to be used as either a static
2255 or a virtual method.
2259 my $class = ref($self) || $self;
2260 return bless {}, $class;
2263 Pass arrays as references so more parameters can be added later
2264 (it's also faster). Convert functions into methods where
2265 appropriate. Split large methods into smaller more flexible ones.
2266 Inherit methods from other modules if appropriate.
2268 Avoid class name tests like: C<die "Invalid" unless ref $ref eq 'FOO'>.
2269 Generally you can delete the C<eq 'FOO'> part with no harm at all.
2270 Let the objects look after themselves! Generally, avoid hard-wired
2271 class names as far as possible.
2273 Avoid C<< $r->Class::func() >> where using C<@ISA=qw(... Class ...)> and
2274 C<< $r->func() >> would work (see L<perlbot> for more details).
2276 Use autosplit so little used or newly added functions won't be a
2277 burden to programs that don't use them. Add test functions to
2278 the module after __END__ either using AutoSplit or by saying:
2280 eval join('',<main::DATA>) || die $@ unless caller();
2282 Does your module pass the 'empty subclass' test? If you say
2283 C<@SUBCLASS::ISA = qw(YOURCLASS);> your applications should be able
2284 to use SUBCLASS in exactly the same way as YOURCLASS. For example,
2285 does your application still work if you change: C<$obj = new YOURCLASS;>
2286 into: C<$obj = new SUBCLASS;> ?
2288 Avoid keeping any state information in your packages. It makes it
2289 difficult for multiple other packages to use yours. Keep state
2290 information in objects.
2294 Try to C<use strict;> (or C<use strict qw(...);>).
2295 Remember that you can add C<no strict qw(...);> to individual blocks
2296 of code that need less strictness.
2300 Follow the guidelines in the perlstyle(1) manual.
2306 Some simple style guidelines
2308 The perlstyle manual supplied with Perl has many helpful points.
2310 Coding style is a matter of personal taste. Many people evolve their
2311 style over several years as they learn what helps them write and
2312 maintain good code. Here's one set of assorted suggestions that
2313 seem to be widely used by experienced developers:
2315 Use underscores to separate words. It is generally easier to read
2316 $var_names_like_this than $VarNamesLikeThis, especially for
2317 non-native speakers of English. It's also a simple rule that works
2318 consistently with VAR_NAMES_LIKE_THIS.
2320 Package/Module names are an exception to this rule. Perl informally
2321 reserves lowercase module names for 'pragma' modules like integer
2322 and strict. Other modules normally begin with a capital letter and
2323 use mixed case with no underscores (need to be short and portable).
2325 You may find it helpful to use letter case to indicate the scope
2326 or nature of a variable. For example:
2328 $ALL_CAPS_HERE constants only (beware clashes with Perl vars)
2329 $Some_Caps_Here package-wide global/static
2330 $no_caps_here function scope my() or local() variables
2332 Function and method names seem to work best as all lowercase.
2333 e.g., C<< $obj->as_string() >>.
2335 You can use a leading underscore to indicate that a variable or
2336 function should not be used outside the package that defined it.
2340 Select what to export.
2342 Do NOT export method names!
2344 Do NOT export anything else by default without a good reason!
2346 Exports pollute the namespace of the module user. If you must
2347 export try to use @EXPORT_OK in preference to @EXPORT and avoid
2348 short or common names to reduce the risk of name clashes.
2350 Generally anything not exported is still accessible from outside the
2351 module using the ModuleName::item_name (or C<< $blessed_ref->method >>)
2352 syntax. By convention you can use a leading underscore on names to
2353 indicate informally that they are 'internal' and not for public use.
2355 (It is actually possible to get private functions by saying:
2356 C<my $subref = sub { ... }; &$subref;>. But there's no way to call that
2357 directly as a method, because a method must have a name in the symbol
2360 As a general rule, if the module is trying to be object oriented
2361 then export nothing. If it's just a collection of functions then
2362 @EXPORT_OK anything but use @EXPORT with caution.
2366 Select a name for the module.
2368 This name should be as descriptive, accurate, and complete as
2369 possible. Avoid any risk of ambiguity. Always try to use two or
2370 more whole words. Generally the name should reflect what is special
2371 about what the module does rather than how it does it. Please use
2372 nested module names to group informally or categorize a module.
2373 There should be a very good reason for a module not to have a nested name.
2374 Module names should begin with a capital letter.
2376 Having 57 modules all called Sort will not make life easy for anyone
2377 (though having 23 called Sort::Quick is only marginally better :-).
2378 Imagine someone trying to install your module alongside many others.
2379 If in any doubt ask for suggestions in comp.lang.perl.misc.
2381 If you are developing a suite of related modules/classes it's good
2382 practice to use nested classes with a common prefix as this will
2383 avoid namespace clashes. For example: Xyz::Control, Xyz::View,
2384 Xyz::Model etc. Use the modules in this list as a naming guide.
2386 If adding a new module to a set, follow the original author's
2387 standards for naming modules and the interface to methods in
2390 If developing modules for private internal or project specific use,
2391 that will never be released to the public, then you should ensure
2392 that their names will not clash with any future public module. You
2393 can do this either by using the reserved Local::* category or by
2394 using a category name that includes an underscore like Foo_Corp::*.
2396 To be portable each component of a module name should be limited to
2397 11 characters. If it might be used on MS-DOS then try to ensure each is
2398 unique in the first 8 characters. Nested modules make this easier.
2402 Have you got it right?
2404 How do you know that you've made the right decisions? Have you
2405 picked an interface design that will cause problems later? Have
2406 you picked the most appropriate name? Do you have any questions?
2408 The best way to know for sure, and pick up many helpful suggestions,
2409 is to ask someone who knows. Comp.lang.perl.misc is read by just about
2410 all the people who develop modules and it's the best place to ask.
2412 All you need to do is post a short summary of the module, its
2413 purpose and interfaces. A few lines on each of the main methods is
2414 probably enough. (If you post the whole module it might be ignored
2415 by busy people - generally the very people you want to read it!)
2417 Don't worry about posting if you can't say when the module will be
2418 ready - just say so in the message. It might be worth inviting
2419 others to help you, they may be able to complete it for you!
2423 README and other Additional Files.
2425 It's well known that software developers usually fully document the
2426 software they write. If, however, the world is in urgent need of
2427 your software and there is not enough time to write the full
2428 documentation please at least provide a README file containing:
2434 A description of the module/package/extension etc.
2438 A copyright notice - see below.
2442 Prerequisites - what else you may need to have.
2446 How to build it - possible changes to Makefile.PL etc.
2454 Recent changes in this release, especially incompatibilities
2458 Changes / enhancements you plan to make in the future.
2462 If the README file seems to be getting too large you may wish to
2463 split out some of the sections into separate files: INSTALL,
2470 Adding a Copyright Notice.
2472 How you choose to license your work is a personal decision.
2473 The general mechanism is to assert your Copyright and then make
2474 a declaration of how others may copy/use/modify your work.
2476 Perl, for example, is supplied with two types of licence: The GNU GPL
2477 and The Artistic Licence (see the files README, Copying, and Artistic,
2478 or L<perlgpl> and L<perlartistic>). Larry has good reasons for NOT
2479 just using the GNU GPL.
2481 My personal recommendation, out of respect for Larry, Perl, and the
2482 Perl community at large is to state something simply like:
2484 Copyright (c) 1995 Your Name. All rights reserved.
2485 This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
2486 modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.
2488 This statement should at least appear in the README file. You may
2489 also wish to include it in a Copying file and your source files.
2490 Remember to include the other words in addition to the Copyright.
2494 Give the module a version/issue/release number.
2496 To be fully compatible with the Exporter and MakeMaker modules you
2497 should store your module's version number in a non-my package
2498 variable called $VERSION. This should be a floating point
2499 number with at least two digits after the decimal (i.e., hundredths,
2500 e.g, C<$VERSION = "0.01">). Don't use a "1.3.2" style version.
2501 See L<Exporter> for details.
2503 It may be handy to add a function or method to retrieve the number.
2504 Use the number in announcements and archive file names when
2505 releasing the module (ModuleName-1.02.tar.Z).
2506 See perldoc ExtUtils::MakeMaker.pm for details.
2510 How to release and distribute a module.
2512 It's good idea to post an announcement of the availability of your
2513 module (or the module itself if small) to the comp.lang.perl.announce
2514 Usenet newsgroup. This will at least ensure very wide once-off
2517 If possible, register the module with CPAN. You should
2518 include details of its location in your announcement.
2520 Some notes about ftp archives: Please use a long descriptive file
2521 name that includes the version number. Most incoming directories
2522 will not be readable/listable, i.e., you won't be able to see your
2523 file after uploading it. Remember to send your email notification
2524 message as soon as possible after uploading else your file may get
2525 deleted automatically. Allow time for the file to be processed
2526 and/or check the file has been processed before announcing its
2529 FTP Archives for Perl Modules:
2531 Follow the instructions and links on:
2533 http://www.cpan.org/modules/00modlist.long.html
2534 http://www.cpan.org/modules/04pause.html
2536 or upload to one of these sites:
2538 https://pause.kbx.de/pause/
2539 http://pause.perl.org/pause/
2541 and notify <modules@perl.org>.
2543 By using the WWW interface you can ask the Upload Server to mirror
2544 your modules from your ftp or WWW site into your own directory on
2547 Please remember to send me an updated entry for the Module list!
2551 Take care when changing a released module.
2553 Always strive to remain compatible with previous released versions.
2554 Otherwise try to add a mechanism to revert to the
2555 old behavior if people rely on it. Document incompatible changes.
2561 =head2 Guidelines for Converting Perl 4 Library Scripts into Modules
2567 There is no requirement to convert anything.
2569 If it ain't broke, don't fix it! Perl 4 library scripts should
2570 continue to work with no problems. You may need to make some minor
2571 changes (like escaping non-array @'s in double quoted strings) but
2572 there is no need to convert a .pl file into a Module for just that.
2576 Consider the implications.
2578 All Perl applications that make use of the script will need to
2579 be changed (slightly) if the script is converted into a module. Is
2580 it worth it unless you plan to make other changes at the same time?
2584 Make the most of the opportunity.
2586 If you are going to convert the script to a module you can use the
2587 opportunity to redesign the interface. The guidelines for module
2588 creation above include many of the issues you should consider.
2592 The pl2pm utility will get you started.
2594 This utility will read *.pl files (given as parameters) and write
2595 corresponding *.pm files. The pl2pm utilities does the following:
2601 Adds the standard Module prologue lines
2605 Converts package specifiers from ' to ::
2609 Converts die(...) to croak(...)
2613 Several other minor changes
2617 Being a mechanical process pl2pm is not bullet proof. The converted
2618 code will need careful checking, especially any package statements.
2619 Don't delete the original .pl file till the new .pm one works!
2623 =head2 Guidelines for Reusing Application Code
2629 Complete applications rarely belong in the Perl Module Library.
2633 Many applications contain some Perl code that could be reused.
2635 Help save the world! Share your code in a form that makes it easy
2640 Break-out the reusable code into one or more separate module files.
2644 Take the opportunity to reconsider and redesign the interfaces.
2648 In some cases the 'application' can then be reduced to a small
2650 fragment of code built on top of the reusable modules. In these cases
2651 the application could invoked as:
2653 % perl -e 'use Module::Name; method(@ARGV)' ...
2655 % perl -mModule::Name ... (in perl5.002 or higher)
2661 Perl does not enforce private and public parts of its modules as you may
2662 have been used to in other languages like C++, Ada, or Modula-17. Perl
2663 doesn't have an infatuation with enforced privacy. It would prefer
2664 that you stayed out of its living room because you weren't invited, not
2665 because it has a shotgun.
2667 The module and its user have a contract, part of which is common law,
2668 and part of which is "written". Part of the common law contract is
2669 that a module doesn't pollute any namespace it wasn't asked to. The
2670 written contract for the module (A.K.A. documentation) may make other
2671 provisions. But then you know when you C<use RedefineTheWorld> that
2672 you're redefining the world and willing to take the consequences.