X-Git-Url: http://git.shadowcat.co.uk/gitweb/gitweb.cgi?a=blobdiff_plain;f=pod%2Fperlmodlib.pod;h=5a0d28f1b6ae8ceb321190b1c3eb3f35ebe48514;hb=3be065a1e9733344e98c8647d9690fa7c678b5c5;hp=1810e0003ab6c315d33251508bf1331d0d00fedd;hpb=7ea3cd407b6ec2a3e424bdfbc486b6e01d6d28bd;p=p5sagit%2Fp5-mst-13.2.git diff --git a/pod/perlmodlib.pod b/pod/perlmodlib.pod index 1810e00..5a0d28f 100644 --- a/pod/perlmodlib.pod +++ b/pod/perlmodlib.pod @@ -1,3 +1,6 @@ +=for maintainers +Generated by perlmodlib.PL -- DO NOT EDIT! + =head1 NAME perlmodlib - constructing new Perl modules and finding existing ones @@ -72,7 +75,7 @@ Force byte semantics rather than character semantics =item charnames -Define character names for C<\N{named}> string literal escape. +Define character names for C<\N{named}> string literal escapes. =item constant @@ -82,6 +85,10 @@ Declare constants Perl compiler pragma to force verbose warning diagnostics +=item encoding + +Pragma to control the conversion of legacy data into Unicode + =item fields Compile-time class fields @@ -90,9 +97,13 @@ Compile-time class fields Control the filetest permission operators +=item if + +C a Perl module if a condition holds + =item integer -Compute arithmetic in integer instead of double +Use integer arithmetic instead of floating point =item less @@ -114,10 +125,6 @@ Restrict unsafe operations when compiling Package for overloading perl operations -=item perlio - -Configure C level IO - =item re Alter regular expression behaviour @@ -126,6 +133,10 @@ Alter regular expression behaviour Enable simple signal handling +=item sort + +Control sort() behaviour + =item strict Restrict unsafe constructs @@ -134,14 +145,22 @@ Restrict unsafe constructs Predeclare sub names +=item threads + +Perl extension allowing use of interpreter based threads from perl + =item utf8 -Enable/disable UTF-8 in source code +Enable/disable UTF-8 (or UTF-EBCDIC) in source code =item vars Predeclare global variable names (obsolete) +=item vmsish + +Control VMS-specific language features + =item warnings Control optional warnings @@ -164,6 +183,10 @@ Exporter module. See their own documentation for details. Provide framework for multiple DBMs +=item Attribute::Handlers + +Simpler definition of attribute handlers + =item AutoLoader Load subroutines only on demand @@ -200,6 +223,10 @@ Perl compiler's C backend Perl compiler's optimized C translation backend +=item B::Concise + +Walk Perl syntax tree, printing concise info about ops + =item B::Debug Walk Perl syntax tree, printing debug info about ops @@ -276,6 +303,10 @@ Simple Interface to Server Push Backward compatibility module for defunct CGI::Switch +=item CGI::Util + +Internal utilities used by CGI module + =item CPAN Query, download and build perl modules from CPAN sites @@ -292,6 +323,14 @@ Wrapper around CPAN.pm without using any XS module Warn of errors (from perspective of caller) +=item Carp::Heavy + +No user serviceable parts inside + +=item Class::ISA + +Report the search path for a class's ISA tree + =item Class::Struct Declare struct-like datatypes as Perl classes @@ -312,6 +351,10 @@ Perl5 access to Berkeley DB version 1.x Generate stubs for a SelfLoading module +=item Digest + +Modules that calculate message digests + =item DirHandle Supply object methods for directory handles @@ -344,6 +387,10 @@ Exporter guts Utilities to replace common UNIX commands in Makefiles etc. +=item ExtUtils::Constant + +Generate XS code to import C header constants + =item ExtUtils::Embed Utilities for embedding Perl in C/C++ applications @@ -360,10 +407,18 @@ Inventory management of installed modules Determine libraries to use and how to use them +=item ExtUtils::MM_BeOS + +Methods to override UN*X behaviour in ExtUtils::MakeMaker + =item ExtUtils::MM_Cygwin Methods to override UN*X behaviour in ExtUtils::MakeMaker +=item ExtUtils::MM_NW5 + +Methods to override UN*X behaviour in ExtUtils::MakeMaker + =item ExtUtils::MM_OS2 Methods to override UN*X behaviour in ExtUtils::MakeMaker @@ -434,7 +489,7 @@ DOS like globbing and then some =item File::Find -Traverse a file tree +Traverse a directory tree. =item File::Path @@ -444,6 +499,10 @@ Create or remove directory trees Portably perform operations on file names +=item File::Spec::Cygwin + +Methods for Cygwin file specs + =item File::Spec::Epoc Methods for Epoc file specs @@ -454,7 +513,7 @@ Portably perform operations on file names =item File::Spec::Mac -File::Spec for MacOS +File::Spec for Mac OS (Classic) =item File::Spec::OS2 @@ -462,7 +521,7 @@ Methods for OS/2 file specs =item File::Spec::Unix -Methods used by File::Spec +File::Spec for Unix, base for other File::Spec modules =item File::Spec::VMS @@ -504,10 +563,22 @@ Extended processing of command line options Process single-character switches with switch clustering +=item Hash::Util + +A selection of general-utility hash subroutines + =item I18N::Collate Compare 8-bit scalar data according to the current locale +=item I18N::LangTags + +Functions for dealing with RFC3066-style language tags + +=item I18N::LangTags::List + +Tags and names for human languages + =item IO Load various IO modules @@ -520,14 +591,46 @@ Open a process for both reading and writing Open a process for reading, writing, and error handling +=item Locale::Constants + +Constants for Locale codes + +=item Locale::Country + +ISO codes for country identification (ISO 3166) + +=item Locale::Currency + +ISO three letter codes for currency identification (ISO 4217) + +=item Locale::Language + +ISO two letter codes for language identification (ISO 639) + +=item Locale::Maketext + +Framework for localization + +=item Locale::Maketext::TPJ13 + +Article about software localization + +=item Locale::Script + +ISO codes for script identification (ISO 15924) + =item Math::BigFloat -Arbitrary length float math package +Arbitrary size floating point math package =item Math::BigInt Arbitrary size integer math package +=item Math::BigInt::Calc + +Pure Perl module to support Math::BigInt + =item Math::Complex Complex numbers and associated mathematical functions @@ -536,18 +639,94 @@ Complex numbers and associated mathematical functions Trigonometric functions +=item Memoize + +Make your functions faster by trading space for time + +=item Memoize::AnyDBM_File + +Glue to provide EXISTS for AnyDBM_File for Storable use + +=item Memoize::Expire + +Plug-in module for automatic expiration of memoized values + +=item Memoize::ExpireFile + +Test for Memoize expiration semantics + +=item Memoize::ExpireTest + +Test for Memoize expiration semantics + +=item Memoize::NDBM_File + +Glue to provide EXISTS for NDBM_File for Storable use + +=item Memoize::SDBM_File + +Glue to provide EXISTS for SDBM_File for Storable use + +=item Memoize::Storable + +Store Memoized data in Storable database + =item NDBM_File Tied access to ndbm files +=item NEXT + +Provide a pseudo-class NEXT that allows method redispatch + +=item Net::Cmd + +Network Command class (as used by FTP, SMTP etc) + +=item Net::Config + +Local configuration data for libnet + +=item Net::Domain + +Attempt to evaluate the current host's internet name and domain + +=item Net::FTP + +FTP Client class + +=item Net::NNTP + +NNTP Client class + +=item Net::Netrc + +OO interface to users netrc file + +=item Net::POP3 + +Post Office Protocol 3 Client class (RFC1939) + =item Net::Ping Check a remote host for reachability +=item Net::SMTP + +Simple Mail Transfer Protocol Client + +=item Net::Time + +Time and daytime network client interface + =item Net::hostent By-name interface to Perl's built-in gethost*() functions +=item Net::libnetFAQ + +Libnet Frequently Asked Questions + =item Net::netent By-name interface to Perl's built-in getnet*() functions @@ -572,6 +751,14 @@ Tied access to odbm files Disable named opcodes when compiling perl code +=item POSIX + +Perl interface to IEEE Std 1003.1 + +=item PerlIO + +On demand loader for PerlIO layers and root of PerlIO::* name space + =item Pod::Checker Check pod documents for syntax errors @@ -580,6 +767,10 @@ Check pod documents for syntax errors Find POD documents in directory trees +=item Pod::Functions + +Group Perl's functions a la perlfunc.pod + =item Pod::Html Module to convert pod files to HTML @@ -596,6 +787,10 @@ Convert Pod data to formatted Latex Convert POD data to formatted *roff input +=item Pod::ParseLink + +Parse an LEE formatting code in POD text + =item Pod::ParseUtils Helpers for POD parsing and conversion @@ -620,6 +815,10 @@ Convert POD data to formatted ASCII text Convert POD data to formatted color ASCII text +=item Pod::Text::Overstrike + +Convert POD data to formatted overstrike text + =item Pod::Text::Termcap Convert POD data to ASCII text with format escapes @@ -628,6 +827,10 @@ Convert POD data to ASCII text with format escapes Print a usage message from embedded pod documentation +=item Pod::t::basic + +Test of various basic POD features in translators. + =item SDBM_File Tied access to sdbm files @@ -660,6 +863,10 @@ Load the C socket.h defines and structure manipulators Persistency for perl data structures +=item Switch + +A switch statement for Perl + =item Symbol Manipulate Perl symbols and their names @@ -684,14 +891,46 @@ Perl interface to various C packages. If Provides a simple framework for writing test scripts +=item Test::Builder + +Backend for building test libraries + =item Test::Harness Run perl standard test scripts with statistics +=item Test::Harness::Assert + +Simple assert + +=item Test::Harness::Iterator + +Internal Test::Harness Iterator + +=item Test::Harness::Straps + +Detailed analysis of test results + +=item Test::More + +Yet another framework for writing test scripts + +=item Test::Simple + +Basic utilities for writing tests. + +=item Test::Tutorial + +A tutorial about writing really basic tests + =item Text::Abbrev Create an abbreviation table from a list +=item Text::Balanced + +Extract delimited text sequences from strings. + =item Text::ParseWords Parse text into an array of tokens or array of arrays @@ -700,14 +939,26 @@ Parse text into an array of tokens or array of arrays Implementation of the Soundex Algorithm as Described by Knuth +=item Text::Tabs + +Expand and unexpand tabs per the unix expand(1) and unexpand(1) + =item Text::Wrap Line wrapping to form simple paragraphs +=item Thread + +Manipulate threads in Perl + =item Tie::Array Base class for tied arrays +=item Tie::File + +Access the lines of a disk file via a Perl array + =item Tie::Handle Base class definitions for tied handles @@ -716,6 +967,10 @@ Base class definitions for tied handles Base class definitions for tied hashes +=item Tie::Memoize + +Add data to hash when needed + =item Tie::RefHash Use references as hash keys @@ -748,6 +1003,14 @@ Internal object used by Time::gmtime and Time::localtime Base class for ALL classes (blessed references) +=item Unicode::Collate + +Use UCA (Unicode Collation Algorithm) + +=item Unicode::UCD + +Unicode character database + =item User::grent By-name interface to Perl's built-in getgr*() functions @@ -756,6 +1019,10 @@ By-name interface to Perl's built-in getgr*() functions By-name interface to Perl's built-in getpw*() functions +=item Win32 + +Interfaces to some Win32 API Functions + =back To find out I modules installed on your system, including @@ -776,7 +1043,7 @@ system B command, you might try the B program. Extension modules are written in C (or a mix of Perl and C). They are usually dynamically loaded into Perl if and when you need them, -but may also be be linked in statically. Supported extension modules +but may also be linked in statically. Supported extension modules include Socket, Fcntl, and POSIX. Many popular C extension modules do not come bundled (at least, not @@ -792,8 +1059,7 @@ CPAN stands for Comprehensive Perl Archive Network; it's a globally replicated trove of Perl materials, including documentation, style guides, tricks and traps, alternate ports to non-Unix systems and occasional binary distributions for these. Search engines for -CPAN can be found at http://cpan.perl.com/ and at -http://theory.uwinnipeg.ca/mod_perl/cpan-search.pl . +CPAN can be found at http://www.cpan.org/. Most importantly, CPAN includes around a thousand unbundled modules, some of which require a C compiler to build. Major categories of @@ -802,66 +1068,87 @@ modules are: =over =item * + Language Extensions and Documentation Tools =item * + Development Support =item * + Operating System Interfaces =item * + Networking, Device Control (modems) and InterProcess Communication =item * + Data Types and Data Type Utilities =item * + Database Interfaces =item * + User Interfaces =item * + Interfaces to / Emulations of Other Programming Languages =item * + File Names, File Systems and File Locking (see also File Handles) =item * + String Processing, Language Text Processing, Parsing, and Searching =item * + Option, Argument, Parameter, and Configuration File Processing =item * + Internationalization and Locale =item * + Authentication, Security, and Encryption =item * + World Wide Web, HTML, HTTP, CGI, MIME =item * + Server and Daemon Utilities =item * + Archiving and Compression =item * + Images, Pixmap and Bitmap Manipulation, Drawing, and Graphing =item * + Mail and Usenet News =item * + Control Flow Utilities (callbacks and exceptions etc) =item * + File Handle and Input/Output Stream Utilities =item * + Miscellaneous Modules =back @@ -869,287 +1156,846 @@ Miscellaneous Modules Registered CPAN sites as of this writing include the following. You should try to choose one close to you: -=over +=head2 Africa + +=over 4 + +=item * + +South Africa -=item Africa - - South Africa ftp://ftp.is.co.za/programming/perl/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.saix.net/pub/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.sun.ac.za/CPAN/ - ftp://ftpza.co.za/pub/mirrors/cpan/ - - -=item Asia - - China ftp://freesoft.cei.gov.cn/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/ - Hong Kong ftp://ftp.pacific.net.hk/pub/mirror/CPAN/ - Indonesia ftp://malone.piksi.itb.ac.id/pub/CPAN/ - Israel ftp://bioinfo.weizmann.ac.il/pub/software/perl/CPAN/ - Japan ftp://ftp.dti.ad.jp/pub/lang/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.jaist.ac.jp/pub/lang/perl/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.lab.kdd.co.jp/lang/perl/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.meisei-u.ac.jp/pub/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.ring.gr.jp/pub/lang/perl/CPAN/ - ftp://mirror.nucba.ac.jp/mirror/Perl/ - Saudi-Arabia ftp://ftp.isu.net.sa/pub/CPAN/ - Singapore ftp://ftp.nus.edu.sg/pub/unix/perl/CPAN/ - South Korea ftp://ftp.bora.net/pub/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.kornet.net/pub/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.nuri.net/pub/CPAN/ - Taiwan ftp://coda.nctu.edu.tw/computer-languages/perl/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.ee.ncku.edu.tw/pub3/perl/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp1.sinica.edu.tw/pub1/perl/CPAN/ - Thailand ftp://ftp.nectec.or.th/pub/mirrors/CPAN/ - - -=item Australasia - - Australia ftp://cpan.topend.com.au/pub/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.labyrinth.net.au/pub/perl-CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.sage-au.org.au/pub/compilers/perl/CPAN/ - ftp://mirror.aarnet.edu.au/pub/perl/CPAN/ - New Zealand ftp://ftp.auckland.ac.nz/pub/perl/CPAN/ - ftp://sunsite.net.nz/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/ - - -=item Central America - - Costa Rica ftp://ftp.ucr.ac.cr/pub/Unix/CPAN/ - - -=item Europe - - Austria ftp://ftp.tuwien.ac.at/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/ - Belgium ftp://ftp.kulnet.kuleuven.ac.be/pub/mirror/CPAN/ - Bulgaria ftp://ftp.ntrl.net/pub/mirrors/CPAN/ - Croatia ftp://ftp.linux.hr/pub/CPAN/ - Czech Republic ftp://ftp.fi.muni.cz/pub/perl/ - ftp://sunsite.mff.cuni.cz/Languages/Perl/CPAN/ - Denmark ftp://sunsite.auc.dk/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/ - Estonia ftp://ftp.ut.ee/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/ - Finland ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/ - France ftp://ftp.grolier.fr/pub/perl/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.lip6.fr/pub/perl/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.oleane.net/pub/mirrors/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.pasteur.fr/pub/computing/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.uvsq.fr/pub/perl/CPAN/ - German ftp://ftp.gigabell.net/pub/CPAN/ - Germany ftp://ftp.archive.de.uu.net/pub/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.freenet.de/pub/ftp.cpan.org/pub/ - ftp://ftp.gmd.de/packages/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.gwdg.de/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/ - -ftp://ftp.leo.org/pub/comp/general/programming/languages/script/perl/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.mpi-sb.mpg.de/pub/perl/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.rz.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/pub/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.uni-erlangen.de/pub/source/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.uni-hamburg.de/pub/soft/lang/perl/CPAN/ - Germany ftp://ftp.archive.de.uu.net/pub/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.freenet.de/pub/ftp.cpan.org/pub/ - ftp://ftp.gmd.de/packages/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.gwdg.de/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/ - -ftp://ftp.leo.org/pub/comp/general/programming/languages/script/perl/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.mpi-sb.mpg.de/pub/perl/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.rz.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/pub/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.uni-erlangen.de/pub/source/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.uni-hamburg.de/pub/soft/lang/perl/CPAN/ - Greece ftp://ftp.ntua.gr/pub/lang/perl/ - Hungary ftp://ftp.kfki.hu/pub/packages/perl/CPAN/ - Iceland ftp://ftp.gm.is/pub/CPAN/ - Ireland ftp://cpan.indigo.ie/pub/CPAN/ - ftp://sunsite.compapp.dcu.ie/pub/perl/ - Italy ftp://cis.uniRoma2.it/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.flashnet.it/pub/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.unina.it/pub/Other/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.unipi.it/pub/mirror/perl/CPAN/ - Netherlands ftp://ftp.cs.uu.nl/mirror/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.nluug.nl/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/ - Norway ftp://ftp.uit.no/pub/languages/perl/cpan/ - ftp://sunsite.uio.no/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/ - Poland ftp://ftp.man.torun.pl/pub/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.pk.edu.pl/pub/lang/perl/CPAN/ - ftp://sunsite.icm.edu.pl/pub/CPAN/ - Portugal ftp://ftp.ci.uminho.pt/pub/mirrors/cpan/ - ftp://ftp.ist.utl.pt/pub/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.ua.pt/pub/CPAN/ - Romania ftp://ftp.dnttm.ro/pub/CPAN/ - Russia ftp://ftp.chg.ru/pub/lang/perl/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.sai.msu.su/pub/lang/perl/CPAN/ - Slovakia ftp://ftp.entry.sk/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/ - Slovenia ftp://ftp.arnes.si/software/perl/CPAN/ - Spain ftp://ftp.etse.urv.es/pub/perl/ - ftp://ftp.rediris.es/mirror/CPAN/ - Sweden ftp://ftp.sunet.se/pub/lang/perl/CPAN/ - Switzerland ftp://sunsite.cnlab-switch.ch/mirror/CPAN/ - Turkey ftp://sunsite.bilkent.edu.tr/pub/languages/CPAN/ - United Kingdom ftp://ftp.demon.co.uk/pub/mirrors/perl/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.flirble.org/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/ - -ftp://ftp.mirror.ac.uk/sites/ftp.funet.fi/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.plig.org/pub/CPAN/ - ftp://sunsite.doc.ic.ac.uk/packages/CPAN/ - - -=item North America - - Alberta ftp://sunsite.ualberta.ca/pub/Mirror/CPAN/ - California ftp://cpan.nas.nasa.gov/pub/perl/CPAN/ - ftp://cpan.valueclick.com/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.cdrom.com/pub/perl/CPAN/ - http://download.sourceforge.net/mirrors/CPAN/ - Colorado ftp://ftp.cs.colorado.edu/pub/perl/CPAN/ - Florida ftp://ftp.cise.ufl.edu/pub/perl/CPAN/ - Georgia ftp://ftp.twoguys.org/CPAN/ - Illinois ftp://uiarchive.uiuc.edu/pub/lang/perl/CPAN/ - Indiana ftp://csociety-ftp.ecn.purdue.edu/pub/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.uwsg.indiana.edu/pub/perl/CPAN/ - Kentucky ftp://ftp.uky.edu/CPAN/ - Manitoba ftp://theoryx5.uwinnipeg.ca/pub/CPAN/ - Massachusetts -ftp://ftp.ccs.neu.edu/net/mirrors/ftp.funet.fi/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.iguide.com/pub/mirrors/packages/perl/CPAN/ - Mexico ftp://ftp.msg.com.mx/pub/CPAN/ - New York ftp://ftp.deao.net/pub/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.rge.com/pub/languages/perl/ - North Carolina ftp://ftp.duke.edu/pub/perl/ - Nova Scotia ftp://cpan.chebucto.ns.ca/pub/CPAN/ - Oklahoma ftp://ftp.ou.edu/mirrors/CPAN/ - Ontario ftp://ftp.crc.ca/pub/packages/lang/perl/CPAN/ - Oregon ftp://ftp.orst.edu/pub/packages/CPAN/ - Pennsylvania ftp://ftp.epix.net/pub/languages/perl/ - Tennessee ftp://ftp.sunsite.utk.edu/pub/CPAN/ - Texas ftp://ftp.sedl.org/pub/mirrors/CPAN/ - ftp://jhcloos.com/pub/mirror/CPAN/ - Utah ftp://mirror.xmission.com/CPAN/ - Virginia ftp://ftp.perl.org/pub/perl/CPAN/ - ftp://ruff.cs.jmu.edu/pub/CPAN/ - Washington ftp://ftp-mirror.internap.com/pub/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.llarian.net/pub/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.spu.edu/pub/CPAN/ - - -=item South America - - Brazil ftp://cpan.if.usp.br/pub/mirror/CPAN/ - ftp://ftp.matrix.com.br/pub/perl/ - Chile ftp://sunsite.dcc.uchile.cl/pub/Lang/PERL/ + ftp://ftp.is.co.za/programming/perl/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.mweb.co.za/pub/mirrors/cpan/ + ftp://ftp.saix.net/pub/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.sun.ac.za/CPAN/ =back -For an up-to-date listing of CPAN sites, -see http://www.perl.com/perl/CPAN/SITES or ftp://www.perl.com/CPAN/SITES . +=head2 Asia -=head1 Modules: Creation, Use, and Abuse +=over 4 -(The following section is borrowed directly from Tim Bunce's modules -file, available at your nearest CPAN site.) +=item * -Perl implements a class using a package, but the presence of a -package doesn't imply the presence of a class. A package is just a -namespace. A class is a package that provides subroutines that can be -used as methods. A method is just a subroutine that expects, as its -first argument, either the name of a package (for "static" methods), -or a reference to something (for "virtual" methods). +China -A module is a file that (by convention) provides a class of the same -name (sans the .pm), plus an import method in that class that can be -called to fetch exported symbols. This module may implement some of -its methods by loading dynamic C or C++ objects, but that should be -totally transparent to the user of the module. Likewise, the module -might set up an AUTOLOAD function to slurp in subroutine definitions on -demand, but this is also transparent. Only the F<.pm> file is required to -exist. See L, L, and L for details about -the AUTOLOAD mechanism. + ftp://freesoft.cei.gov.cn/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/ + http://www2.linuxforum.net/mirror/CPAN/ + http://CPAN.pacific.net.hk/ + ftp://ftp.pacific.net.hk/pub/mirror/CPAN/ + http://cpan.shellhung.org/ + ftp://ftp.shellhung.org/pub/CPAN -=head2 Guidelines for Module Creation +=item * -=over 4 +India -=item Do similar modules already exist in some form? + http://cpan.in.freeos.com + ftp://cpan.in.freeos.com/pub/CPAN/ -If so, please try to reuse the existing modules either in whole or -by inheriting useful features into a new class. If this is not -practical try to get together with the module authors to work on -extending or enhancing the functionality of the existing modules. -A perfect example is the plethora of packages in perl4 for dealing -with command line options. +=item * -If you are writing a module to expand an already existing set of -modules, please coordinate with the author of the package. It -helps if you follow the same naming scheme and module interaction -scheme as the original author. +Indonesia -=item Try to design the new module to be easy to extend and reuse. + http://cpan.itb.web.id/ + ftp://mirrors.piksi.itb.ac.id/CPAN/ + http://CPAN.mweb.co.id/ + ftp://ftp.mweb.co.id/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/ -Try to C (or C). -Remember that you can add C to individual blocks -of code that need less warnings. +=item * -Use blessed references. Use the two argument form of bless to bless -into the class name given as the first parameter of the constructor, -e.g.,: +Israel - sub new { - my $class = shift; - return bless {}, $class; - } + http://www.iglu.org.il:/pub/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.iglu.org.il/pub/CPAN/ + http://cpan.lerner.co.il/ + http://bioinfo.weizmann.ac.il/pub/software/perl/CPAN/ + ftp://bioinfo.weizmann.ac.il/pub/software/perl/CPAN/ -or even this if you'd like it to be used as either a static -or a virtual method. +=item * - sub new { - my $self = shift; - my $class = ref($self) || $self; - return bless {}, $class; - } +Japan -Pass arrays as references so more parameters can be added later -(it's also faster). Convert functions into methods where -appropriate. Split large methods into smaller more flexible ones. -Inherit methods from other modules if appropriate. + ftp://ftp.u-aizu.ac.jp/pub/CPAN + ftp://ftp.kddlabs.co.jp/CPAN/ + http://mirror.nucba.ac.jp/mirror/Perl/ + ftp://mirror.nucba.ac.jp/mirror/Perl/ + ftp://ftp.meisei-u.ac.jp/pub/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.jaist.ac.jp/pub/lang/perl/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.dti.ad.jp/pub/lang/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.ring.gr.jp/pub/lang/perl/CPAN/ -Avoid class name tests like: C. -Generally you can delete the C part with no harm at all. -Let the objects look after themselves! Generally, avoid hard-wired -class names as far as possible. +=item * -Avoid C<< $r->Class::func() >> where using C<@ISA=qw(... Class ...)> and -C<< $r->func() >> would work (see L for more details). +Korea -Use autosplit so little used or newly added functions won't be a -burden to programs that don't use them. Add test functions to -the module after __END__ either using AutoSplit or by saying: + http://mirror.Mazic.org/pub/CPAN + ftp://mirror.Mazic.org/pub/CPAN - eval join('',) || die $@ unless caller(); +=item * -Does your module pass the 'empty subclass' test? If you say -C<@SUBCLASS::ISA = qw(YOURCLASS);> your applications should be able -to use SUBCLASS in exactly the same way as YOURCLASS. For example, -does your application still work if you change: C<$obj = new YOURCLASS;> -into: C<$obj = new SUBCLASS;> ? +Philippines -Avoid keeping any state information in your packages. It makes it -difficult for multiple other packages to use yours. Keep state -information in objects. + http://www.adzu.edu.ph/CPAN -Always use B<-w>. +=item * -Try to C (or C). -Remember that you can add C to individual blocks -of code that need less strictness. +Russian Federation -Always use B<-w>. + http://cpan.tomsk.ru + ftp://cpan.tomsk.ru/pub/CPAN -Follow the guidelines in the perlstyle(1) manual. +=item * -Always use B<-w>. +Saudi Arabia -=item Some simple style guidelines + ftp://ftp.isu.net.sa/pub/CPAN/ -The perlstyle manual supplied with Perl has many helpful points. +=item * -Coding style is a matter of personal taste. Many people evolve their +Singapore + + http://cpan.hjc.edu.sg + +=item * + +South Korea + + http://CPAN.bora.net/ + ftp://ftp.bora.net/pub/CPAN/ + http://ftp.kornet.net/pub/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.kornet.net/pub/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.nuri.net/pub/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Taiwan + + ftp://coda.nctu.edu.tw/UNIX/perl/CPAN + ftp://ftp.ee.ncku.edu.tw/pub/perl/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp1.sinica.edu.tw/pub1/perl/CPAN/ + http://ftp.tku.edu.tw/pub/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.tku.edu.tw/pub/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Thailand + + http://download.nectec.or.th/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.nectec.or.th/pub/languages/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.cs.riubon.ac.th/pub/mirrors/CPAN/ + +=back + +=head2 Central America + +=over 4 + +=item * + +Costa Rica + + ftp://ftp.linux.co.cr/mirrors/CPAN/ + http://ftp.ucr.ac.cr/Unix/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.ucr.ac.cr/pub/Unix/CPAN/ + +=back + +=head2 Europe + +=over 4 + +=item * + +Austria + + ftp://ftp.tuwien.ac.at/pub/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Belgium + + http://ftp.easynet.be/pub/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.easynet.be/pub/CPAN/ + http://cpan.skynet.be + ftp://ftp.skynet.be/pub/CPAN + ftp://ftp.kulnet.kuleuven.ac.be/pub/mirror/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Bulgaria + + ftp://ftp.ntrl.net/pub/mirrors/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Croatia + + ftp://ftp.linux.hr/pub/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Czech Republic + + http://ftp.fi.muni.cz/pub/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.fi.muni.cz/pub/CPAN/ + ftp://sunsite.mff.cuni.cz/MIRRORS/ftp.funet.fi/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Denmark + + http://mirrors.sunsite.dk/cpan/ + ftp://sunsite.dk/mirrors/cpan/ + http://www.cpan.dk/CPAN/ + ftp://www.cpan.dk/ftp.cpan.org/CPAN/ + +=item * + +England + + http://www.mirror.ac.uk/sites/ftp.funet.fi/pub/languages/perl/CPAN + ftp://ftp.mirror.ac.uk/sites/ftp.funet.fi/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/ + http://cpan.crazygreek.co.uk + ftp://ftp.demon.co.uk/pub/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.flirble.org/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.plig.org/pub/CPAN/ + ftp://sunsite.doc.ic.ac.uk/packages/CPAN/ + http://mirror.uklinux.net/CPAN/ + ftp://mirror.uklinux.net/pub/CPAN/ + ftp://usit.shef.ac.uk/pub/packages/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Estonia + + ftp://ftp.ut.ee/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Finland + + ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/ + http://cpan.kpnqwest.fi/ + +=item * + +France + + ftp://cpan.ftp.worldonline.fr/pub/CPAN/ + http://cpan.mirrors.easynet.fr/ + ftp://cpan.mirrors.easynet.fr/pub/ftp.cpan.org/ + ftp://ftp.club-internet.fr/pub/perl/CPAN/ + http://fr.cpan.org/ + ftp://ftp.lip6.fr/pub/perl/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.oleane.net/pub/mirrors/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.pasteur.fr/pub/computing/CPAN/ + http://cpan.cict.fr/ + ftp://cpan.cict.fr/pub/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.uvsq.fr/pub/perl/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Germany + + ftp://ftp.rz.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/pub/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.freenet.de/pub/ftp.cpan.org/pub/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.uni-erlangen.de/pub/source/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp-stud.fht-esslingen.de/pub/Mirrors/CPAN + ftp://ftp.gigabell.net/pub/CPAN/ + http://ftp.gwdg.de/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.gwdg.de/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.uni-hamburg.de/pub/soft/lang/perl/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.leo.org/pub/CPAN/ + http://cpan.noris.de/ + ftp://cpan.noris.de/pub/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.mpi-sb.mpg.de/pub/perl/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.gmd.de/mirrors/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Greece + + ftp://ftp.forthnet.gr/pub/languages/perl/CPAN + ftp://ftp.ntua.gr/pub/lang/perl/ + +=item * + +Hungary + + http://cpan.artifact.hu/ + ftp://cpan.artifact.hu/CPAN/ + http://ftp.kfki.hu/pub/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.kfki.hu/pub/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Iceland + + http://ftp.rhnet.is/pub/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.rhnet.is/pub/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Ireland + + http://cpan.indigo.ie/ + ftp://cpan.indigo.ie/pub/CPAN/ + http://sunsite.compapp.dcu.ie/pub/perl/ + ftp://sunsite.compapp.dcu.ie/pub/perl/ + +=item * + +Italy + + http://cpan.nettuno.it/ + http://gusp.dyndns.org/CPAN/ + ftp://gusp.dyndns.org/pub/CPAN + http://softcity.iol.it/cpan + ftp://softcity.iol.it/pub/cpan + ftp://ftp.unina.it/pub/Other/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.unipi.it/pub/mirror/perl/CPAN/ + ftp://cis.uniRoma2.it/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.edisontel.it/pub/CPAN_Mirror/ + ftp://ftp.flashnet.it/pub/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Latvia + + http://kvin.lv/pub/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Lithuania + + ftp://ftp.unix.lt/pub/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Netherlands + + ftp://download.xs4all.nl/pub/mirror/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.nl.uu.net/pub/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.nluug.nl/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/ + http://cpan.cybercomm.nl/ + ftp://mirror.cybercomm.nl/pub/cpan/ + ftp://ftp.cpan.nl/pub/CPAN/ + http://www.cs.uu.nl/mirror/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.cs.uu.nl/mirror/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Norway + + ftp://ftp.uninett.no/pub/languages/perl/CPAN + ftp://ftp.uit.no/pub/languages/perl/cpan/ + +=item * + +Poland + + ftp://ftp.pk.edu.pl/pub/lang/perl/CPAN/ + http://www.fic.uni.lodz.pl/pub/CPAN + ftp://ftp.fic.uni.lodz.pl/pub/CPAN + ftp://ftp.mega.net.pl/pub/mirrors/ftp.perl.com/ + ftp://ftp.man.torun.pl/pub/doc/CPAN/ + ftp://sunsite.icm.edu.pl/pub/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Portugal + + ftp://ftp.ua.pt/pub/CPAN/ + ftp://perl.di.uminho.pt/pub/CPAN/ + http://cpan.ip.pt/ + ftp://cpan.ip.pt/pub/perl/ + ftp://ftp.ist.utl.pt/pub/CPAN/ + http://cpan.ip.pt/ + ftp://cpan.ip.pt/pub/cpan/ + ftp://ftp.netc.pt/pub/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.up.pt/pub/CPAN + +=item * + +Romania + + ftp://archive.logicnet.ro/mirrors/ftp.cpan.org/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.kappa.ro/pub/mirrors/ftp.perl.org/pub/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.dntis.ro/pub/cpan/ + ftp://ftp.opsynet.com/cpan/ + ftp://ftp.dnttm.ro/pub/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.lasting.ro/pub/CPAN + ftp://ftp.timisoara.roedu.net/mirrors/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Russia + + ftp://ftp.chg.ru/pub/lang/perl/CPAN/ + http://cpan.rinet.ru/ + ftp://cpan.rinet.ru/pub/mirror/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.aha.ru/pub/CPAN/ + http://cpan.sai.msu.ru/ + ftp://ftp.sai.msu.su/pub/lang/perl/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Slovakia + + ftp://ftp.entry.sk/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Slovenia + + ftp://ftp.arnes.si/software/perl/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Spain + + ftp://ftp.rediris.es/mirror/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.etse.urv.es/pub/perl/ + +=item * + +Sweden + + http://ftp.du.se/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.du.se/pub/CPAN/ + ftp://mirror.dataphone.se/pub/CPAN + ftp://ftp.sunet.se/pub/lang/perl/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Switzerland + + ftp://ftp.danyk.ch/CPAN/ + ftp://sunsite.cnlab-switch.ch/mirror/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Turkey + + ftp://sunsite.bilkent.edu.tr/pub/languages/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Ukraine + + http://cpan.org.ua/ + ftp://cpan.org.ua/ + ftp://ftp.perl.org.ua/pub/CPAN/ + +=back + +=head2 North America + +=over 4 + +=item * + +Canada + +=over 8 + +=item * + +Alberta + + http://sunsite.ualberta.ca/pub/Mirror/CPAN/ + ftp://sunsite.ualberta.ca/pub/Mirror/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Manitoba + + http://theoryx5.uwinnipeg.ca/pub/CPAN/ + ftp://theoryx5.uwinnipeg.ca/pub/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Nova Scotia + + ftp://cpan.chebucto.ns.ca/pub/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Ontario + + ftp://ftp.crc.ca/pub/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Quebec + + http://cpan.mirror.smartworker.org/ + ftp://cpan.mirror.smartworker.org/pub/CPAN + +=back + +=item * + +Mexico + + http://cpan.azc.uam.mx + ftp://cpan.azc.uam.mx/mirrors/CPAN + http://cpan.unam.mx/ + ftp://cpan.unam.mx/pub/CPAN + http://www.msg.com.mx/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.msg.com.mx/pub/CPAN/ + +=item * + +United States + +=over 8 + +=item * + +Alabama + + http://mirror.hiwaay.net/CPAN/ + ftp://mirror.hiwaay.net/CPAN/ + +=item * + +California + + http://www.cpan.org/ + ftp://cpan.valueclick.com/pub/CPAN/ + http://mirrors.gossamer-threads.com/CPAN + ftp://cpan.nas.nasa.gov/pub/perl/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.digital.com/pub/plan/perl/CPAN/ + http://mirrors.kernel.org/cpan/ + ftp://mirrors.kernel.org/pub/CPAN + http://cpan.digisle.net/ + ftp://cpan.digisle.net/pub/CPAN + http://www.linuxjar.com/CPAN + ftp://linuxjar.com/pub/CPAN + http://www.perl.com/CPAN/ + http://download.sourceforge.net/mirrors/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Colorado + + ftp://ftp.cs.colorado.edu/pub/perl/CPAN/ + +=item * + +District of Columbia + + ftp://ftp.dc.us.telia.net/pub/cpan/ + +=item * + +Florida + + ftp://ftp.cise.ufl.edu/pub/mirrors/CPAN/ + http://mirror.csit.fsu.edu/pub/CPAN/ + ftp://mirror.csit.fsu.edu/pub/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Illinois + + http://uiarchive.uiuc.edu/mirrors/ftp/cpan.cse.msu.edu/ + ftp://uiarchive.uiuc.edu/mirrors/ftp/cpan.cse.msu.edu/ + +=item * + +Indiana + + ftp://ftp.uwsg.indiana.edu/pub/perl/CPAN/ + http://cpan.nitco.com/ + ftp://cpan.nitco.com/pub/CPAN/ + http://archive.progeny.com/CPAN/ + ftp://archive.progeny.com/CPAN/ + ftp://cpan.in-span.net/ + http://csociety-ftp.ecn.purdue.edu/pub/CPAN + ftp://csociety-ftp.ecn.purdue.edu/pub/CPAN + +=item * + +Kentucky + + http://cpan.uky.edu/ + ftp://cpan.uky.edu/pub/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Massachusetts + + ftp://ftp.ccs.neu.edu/net/mirrors/ftp.funet.fi/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/ + http://cpan.mirrors.netnumina.com/ + ftp://mirrors.netnumina.com/cpan/ + ftp://ftp.iguide.com/pub/mirrors/packages/perl/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Michigan + + ftp://cpan.cse.msu.edu/ + +=item * + +New Jersey + + ftp://ftp.cpanel.net/pub/CPAN/ + +=item * + +New York + + ftp://ftp.freesoftware.com/pub/perl/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.stealth.net/pub/CPAN/ + http://www.rge.com/pub/languages/perl/ + ftp://ftp.rge.com/pub/languages/perl/ + ftp://mirrors.cloud9.net/pub/mirrors/CPAN/ + +=item * + +North Carolina + + ftp://ftp.duke.edu/pub/perl/ + +=item * + +Ohio + + ftp://ftp.loaded.net/pub/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Oklahoma + + ftp://ftp.ou.edu/mirrors/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Oregon + + ftp://ftp.orst.edu/pub/CPAN + +=item * + +Pennsylvania + + http://ftp.epix.net/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.epix.net/pub/languages/perl/ + http://mirrors.phenominet.com/pub/CPAN/ + ftp://mirrors.phenominet.com/pub/CPAN/ + ftp://carroll.cac.psu.edu/pub/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Tennessee + + ftp://ftp.sunsite.utk.edu/pub/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Texas + + http://ftp.sedl.org/pub/mirrors/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Utah + + ftp://mirror.xmission.com/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Virginia + + http://mirrors.rcn.net/pub/lang/CPAN/ + ftp://mirrors.rcn.net/pub/lang/CPAN/ + ftp://ruff.cs.jmu.edu/pub/CPAN/ + http://perl.Liquidation.com/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Washington + + http://cpan.llarian.net/ + ftp://cpan.llarian.net/pub/CPAN/ + http://cpan.mirrorcentral.com/ + ftp://ftp.mirrorcentral.com/pub/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp-mirror.internap.com/pub/CPAN/ + +=back + +=back + +=head2 Oceania + +=over 4 + +=item * + +Australia + + http://ftp.planetmirror.com/pub/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.planetmirror.com/pub/CPAN/ + ftp://mirror.aarnet.edu.au/pub/perl/CPAN/ + ftp://cpan.topend.com.au/pub/CPAN/ + +=item * + +New Zealand + ftp://ftp.auckland.ac.nz/pub/perl/CPAN/ + +=back + +=head2 South America + +=over 4 + +=item * + +Argentina + + ftp://mirrors.bannerlandia.com.ar/mirrors/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Brazil + + ftp://cpan.pop-mg.com.br/pub/CPAN/ + ftp://ftp.matrix.com.br/pub/perl/CPAN/ + +=item * + +Chile + + ftp://ftp.psinet.cl/pub/programming/perl/CPAN/ + ftp://sunsite.dcc.uchile.cl/pub/lang/perl/ + +=back + + +For an up-to-date listing of CPAN sites, +see http://www.cpan.org/SITES or ftp://www.cpan.org/SITES . + +=head1 Modules: Creation, Use, and Abuse + +(The following section is borrowed directly from Tim Bunce's modules +file, available at your nearest CPAN site.) + +Perl implements a class using a package, but the presence of a +package doesn't imply the presence of a class. A package is just a +namespace. A class is a package that provides subroutines that can be +used as methods. A method is just a subroutine that expects, as its +first argument, either the name of a package (for "static" methods), +or a reference to something (for "virtual" methods). + +A module is a file that (by convention) provides a class of the same +name (sans the .pm), plus an import method in that class that can be +called to fetch exported symbols. This module may implement some of +its methods by loading dynamic C or C++ objects, but that should be +totally transparent to the user of the module. Likewise, the module +might set up an AUTOLOAD function to slurp in subroutine definitions on +demand, but this is also transparent. Only the F<.pm> file is required to +exist. See L, L, and L for details about +the AUTOLOAD mechanism. + +=head2 Guidelines for Module Creation + +=over 4 + +=item * + +Do similar modules already exist in some form? + +If so, please try to reuse the existing modules either in whole or +by inheriting useful features into a new class. If this is not +practical try to get together with the module authors to work on +extending or enhancing the functionality of the existing modules. +A perfect example is the plethora of packages in perl4 for dealing +with command line options. + +If you are writing a module to expand an already existing set of +modules, please coordinate with the author of the package. It +helps if you follow the same naming scheme and module interaction +scheme as the original author. + +=item * + +Try to design the new module to be easy to extend and reuse. + +Try to C (or C). +Remember that you can add C to individual blocks +of code that need less warnings. + +Use blessed references. Use the two argument form of bless to bless +into the class name given as the first parameter of the constructor, +e.g.,: + + sub new { + my $class = shift; + return bless {}, $class; + } + +or even this if you'd like it to be used as either a static +or a virtual method. + + sub new { + my $self = shift; + my $class = ref($self) || $self; + return bless {}, $class; + } + +Pass arrays as references so more parameters can be added later +(it's also faster). Convert functions into methods where +appropriate. Split large methods into smaller more flexible ones. +Inherit methods from other modules if appropriate. + +Avoid class name tests like: C. +Generally you can delete the C part with no harm at all. +Let the objects look after themselves! Generally, avoid hard-wired +class names as far as possible. + +Avoid C<< $r->Class::func() >> where using C<@ISA=qw(... Class ...)> and +C<< $r->func() >> would work (see L for more details). + +Use autosplit so little used or newly added functions won't be a +burden to programs that don't use them. Add test functions to +the module after __END__ either using AutoSplit or by saying: + + eval join('',) || die $@ unless caller(); + +Does your module pass the 'empty subclass' test? If you say +C<@SUBCLASS::ISA = qw(YOURCLASS);> your applications should be able +to use SUBCLASS in exactly the same way as YOURCLASS. For example, +does your application still work if you change: C<$obj = new YOURCLASS;> +into: C<$obj = new SUBCLASS;> ? + +Avoid keeping any state information in your packages. It makes it +difficult for multiple other packages to use yours. Keep state +information in objects. + +Always use B<-w>. + +Try to C (or C). +Remember that you can add C to individual blocks +of code that need less strictness. + +Always use B<-w>. + +Follow the guidelines in the perlstyle(1) manual. + +Always use B<-w>. + +=item * + +Some simple style guidelines + +The perlstyle manual supplied with Perl has many helpful points. + +Coding style is a matter of personal taste. Many people evolve their style over several years as they learn what helps them write and maintain good code. Here's one set of assorted suggestions that seem to be widely used by experienced developers: @@ -1177,7 +2023,9 @@ e.g., C<< $obj->as_string() >>. You can use a leading underscore to indicate that a variable or function should not be used outside the package that defined it. -=item Select what to export. +=item * + +Select what to export. Do NOT export method names! @@ -1201,7 +2049,9 @@ As a general rule, if the module is trying to be object oriented then export nothing. If it's just a collection of functions then @EXPORT_OK anything but use @EXPORT with caution. -=item Select a name for the module. +=item * + +Select a name for the module. This name should be as descriptive, accurate, and complete as possible. Avoid any risk of ambiguity. Always try to use two or @@ -1235,7 +2085,9 @@ To be portable each component of a module name should be limited to 11 characters. If it might be used on MS-DOS then try to ensure each is unique in the first 8 characters. Nested modules make this easier. -=item Have you got it right? +=item * + +Have you got it right? How do you know that you've made the right decisions? Have you picked an interface design that will cause problems later? Have @@ -1254,7 +2106,9 @@ Don't worry about posting if you can't say when the module will be ready - just say so in the message. It might be worth inviting others to help you, they may be able to complete it for you! -=item README and other Additional Files. +=item * + +README and other Additional Files. It's well known that software developers usually fully document the software they write. If, however, the world is in urgent need of @@ -1264,24 +2118,31 @@ documentation please at least provide a README file containing: =over 10 =item * + A description of the module/package/extension etc. =item * + A copyright notice - see below. =item * + Prerequisites - what else you may need to have. =item * + How to build it - possible changes to Makefile.PL etc. =item * + How to install it. =item * + Recent changes in this release, especially incompatibilities =item * + Changes / enhancements you plan to make in the future. =back @@ -1292,7 +2153,9 @@ Copying, ToDo etc. =over 4 -=item Adding a Copyright Notice. +=item * + +Adding a Copyright Notice. How you choose to license your work is a personal decision. The general mechanism is to assert your Copyright and then make @@ -1313,7 +2176,9 @@ This statement should at least appear in the README file. You may also wish to include it in a Copying file and your source files. Remember to include the other words in addition to the Copyright. -=item Give the module a version/issue/release number. +=item * + +Give the module a version/issue/release number. To be fully compatible with the Exporter and MakeMaker modules you should store your module's version number in a non-my package @@ -1327,7 +2192,9 @@ Use the number in announcements and archive file names when releasing the module (ModuleName-1.02.tar.Z). See perldoc ExtUtils::MakeMaker.pm for details. -=item How to release and distribute a module. +=item * + +How to release and distribute a module. It's good idea to post an announcement of the availability of your module (or the module itself if small) to the comp.lang.perl.announce @@ -1350,8 +2217,8 @@ FTP Archives for Perl Modules: Follow the instructions and links on: - http://www.perl.com/CPAN/modules/00modlist.long.html - http://www.perl.com/CPAN/modules/04pause.html + http://www.cpan.org/modules/00modlist.long.html + http://www.cpan.org/modules/04pause.html or upload to one of these sites: @@ -1366,7 +2233,9 @@ CPAN! Please remember to send me an updated entry for the Module list! -=item Take care when changing a released module. +=item * + +Take care when changing a released module. Always strive to remain compatible with previous released versions. Otherwise try to add a mechanism to revert to the @@ -1380,26 +2249,34 @@ old behavior if people rely on it. Document incompatible changes. =over 4 -=item There is no requirement to convert anything. +=item * + +There is no requirement to convert anything. If it ain't broke, don't fix it! Perl 4 library scripts should continue to work with no problems. You may need to make some minor changes (like escaping non-array @'s in double quoted strings) but there is no need to convert a .pl file into a Module for just that. -=item Consider the implications. +=item * + +Consider the implications. All Perl applications that make use of the script will need to be changed (slightly) if the script is converted into a module. Is it worth it unless you plan to make other changes at the same time? -=item Make the most of the opportunity. +=item * + +Make the most of the opportunity. If you are going to convert the script to a module you can use the opportunity to redesign the interface. The guidelines for module creation above include many of the issues you should consider. -=item The pl2pm utility will get you started. +=item * + +The pl2pm utility will get you started. This utility will read *.pl files (given as parameters) and write corresponding *.pm files. The pl2pm utilities does the following: @@ -1407,15 +2284,19 @@ corresponding *.pm files. The pl2pm utilities does the following: =over 10 =item * + Adds the standard Module prologue lines =item * + Converts package specifiers from ' to :: =item * + Converts die(...) to croak(...) =item * + Several other minor changes =back @@ -1430,18 +2311,28 @@ Don't delete the original .pl file till the new .pm one works! =over 4 -=item Complete applications rarely belong in the Perl Module Library. +=item * + +Complete applications rarely belong in the Perl Module Library. + +=item * -=item Many applications contain some Perl code that could be reused. +Many applications contain some Perl code that could be reused. Help save the world! Share your code in a form that makes it easy to reuse. -=item Break-out the reusable code into one or more separate module files. +=item * + +Break-out the reusable code into one or more separate module files. + +=item * + +Take the opportunity to reconsider and redesign the interfaces. -=item Take the opportunity to reconsider and redesign the interfaces. +=item * -=item In some cases the 'application' can then be reduced to a small +In some cases the 'application' can then be reduced to a small fragment of code built on top of the reusable modules. In these cases the application could invoked as: