This is a live mirror of the Perl 5 development currently hosted at https://github.com/perl/perl5
Upgrade Scalar-List-Utils from version 1.31 to 1.32
[perl5.git] / pod / perlmodlib.PL
... / ...
CommitLineData
1#!../miniperl
2
3use strict;
4use warnings;
5
6$ENV{LC_ALL} = 'C';
7
8my $Quiet;
9@ARGV = grep { not($_ eq '-q' and $Quiet = 1) } @ARGV;
10
11if (@ARGV) {
12 my $workdir = shift;
13 chdir $workdir
14 or die "Couldn't chdir to '$workdir': $!";
15}
16require 'regen/regen_lib.pl';
17
18# MANIFEST itself is Unix style filenames, so we have to assume that Unix style
19# filenames will work.
20
21open MANIFEST, '<', 'MANIFEST'
22 or die "Can't open MANIFEST: $!";
23my @files = grep m#(?:\.pm|\.pod|_pm\.PL)#, map {s/\s.*//s; $_}
24 grep { m#^(lib|ext|dist|cpan)/# && !m#/(?:t|demo)/# } <MANIFEST>;
25close MANIFEST
26 or die "$0: failed to close MANIFEST: $!";
27
28my $out = open_new('pod/perlmodlib.pod', undef,
29 {by => "$0 extracting documentation",
30 from => 'the Perl source files'}, 1);
31
32my %exceptions = (
33 'abbrev' => 'Text::Abbrev',
34 'carp' => 'Carp',
35 'getopt' => 'Getopt::Std',
36 'B<CGI::Carp>' => 'CGI::Carp',
37 'ModuleInfo' => 'Module::Build::ModuleInfo',
38 '$notes_name' => 'Module::Build::Notes',
39 'Encode::MIME::NAME' => 'Encode::MIME::Name',
40 'libnetFAQ' => 'Net::libnetFAQ',
41);
42
43my (@pragma, @mod);
44
45for my $filename (@files) {
46 unless (open MOD, '<', $filename) {
47 warn "Couldn't open $filename: $!";
48 next;
49 }
50
51 my ($name, $thing);
52 my $foundit = 0;
53 {
54 local $/ = "";
55 while (<MOD>) {
56 next unless /^=head1 NAME/;
57 $foundit++;
58 last;
59 }
60 }
61 unless ($foundit) {
62 warn "$filename missing =head1 NAME (OK if respective .pod exists)\n"
63 unless $Quiet;
64 next;
65 }
66 my $title = <MOD>;
67 chomp $title;
68 close MOD
69 or die "Error closing $filename: $!";
70
71 ($name, $thing) = split / --? /, $title, 2;
72
73 unless ($name and $thing) {
74 warn "$filename missing name\n" unless $name;
75 warn "$filename missing thing\n" unless $thing or $Quiet;
76 next;
77 }
78
79 $name =~ s/[^A-Za-z0-9_:\$<>].*//;
80 $name = $exceptions{$name} || $name;
81 $thing =~ s/^perl pragma to //i;
82 $thing = ucfirst $thing;
83 $title = "=item $name\n\n$thing\n\n";
84
85 if ($name =~ /[A-Z]/) {
86 push @mod, $title;
87 } else {
88 push @pragma, $title;
89 }
90}
91
92# Much easier to special case it like this than special case the depending on
93# and parsing lib/Config.pod, or special case opening configpm and finding its
94# =head1 (which is not found with the $/="" above)
95push @mod, "=item Config\n\nAccess Perl configuration information\n\n";
96
97
98# The intent of using =cut as the heredoc terminator is to make the whole file
99# parse as (reasonably) sane Pod as-is to anything that attempts to
100# brute-force treat it as such. The content is already useful - this just
101# makes it tidier, by stopping anything doing this mistaking the rest of the
102# Perl code for Pod. eg http://search.cpan.org/dist/perl/pod/perlmodlib.PL
103
104print $out <<'=cut';
105=head1 NAME
106
107perlmodlib - constructing new Perl modules and finding existing ones
108
109=head1 THE PERL MODULE LIBRARY
110
111Many modules are included in the Perl distribution. These are described
112below, and all end in F<.pm>. You may discover compiled library
113files (usually ending in F<.so>) or small pieces of modules to be
114autoloaded (ending in F<.al>); these were automatically generated
115by the installation process. You may also discover files in the
116library directory that end in either F<.pl> or F<.ph>. These are
117old libraries supplied so that old programs that use them still
118run. The F<.pl> files will all eventually be converted into standard
119modules, and the F<.ph> files made by B<h2ph> will probably end up
120as extension modules made by B<h2xs>. (Some F<.ph> values may
121already be available through the POSIX, Errno, or Fcntl modules.)
122The B<pl2pm> file in the distribution may help in your conversion,
123but it's just a mechanical process and therefore far from bulletproof.
124
125=head2 Pragmatic Modules
126
127They work somewhat like compiler directives (pragmata) in that they
128tend to affect the compilation of your program, and thus will usually
129work well only when used within a C<use>, or C<no>. Most of these
130are lexically scoped, so an inner BLOCK may countermand them
131by saying:
132
133 no integer;
134 no strict 'refs';
135 no warnings;
136
137which lasts until the end of that BLOCK.
138
139Some pragmas are lexically scoped--typically those that affect the
140C<$^H> hints variable. Others affect the current package instead,
141like C<use vars> and C<use subs>, which allow you to predeclare a
142variables or subroutines within a particular I<file> rather than
143just a block. Such declarations are effective for the entire file
144for which they were declared. You cannot rescind them with C<no
145vars> or C<no subs>.
146
147The following pragmas are defined (and have their own documentation).
148
149=over 12
150
151=cut
152
153print $out $_ for sort @pragma;
154
155print $out <<'=cut';
156
157=back
158
159=head2 Standard Modules
160
161Standard, bundled modules are all expected to behave in a well-defined
162manner with respect to namespace pollution because they use the
163Exporter module. See their own documentation for details.
164
165It's possible that not all modules listed below are installed on your
166system. For example, the GDBM_File module will not be installed if you
167don't have the gdbm library.
168
169=over 12
170
171=cut
172
173print $out $_ for sort @mod;
174
175print $out <<'=cut', "=cut\n";
176
177=back
178
179To find out I<all> modules installed on your system, including
180those without documentation or outside the standard release,
181just use the following command (under the default win32 shell,
182double quotes should be used instead of single quotes).
183
184 % perl -MFile::Find=find -MFile::Spec::Functions -Tlwe \
185 'find { wanted => sub { print canonpath $_ if /\.pm\z/ },
186 no_chdir => 1 }, @INC'
187
188(The -T is here to prevent '.' from being listed in @INC.)
189They should all have their own documentation installed and accessible
190via your system man(1) command. If you do not have a B<find>
191program, you can use the Perl B<find2perl> program instead, which
192generates Perl code as output you can run through perl. If you
193have a B<man> program but it doesn't find your modules, you'll have
194to fix your manpath. See L<perl> for details. If you have no
195system B<man> command, you might try the B<perldoc> program.
196
197Note also that the command C<perldoc perllocal> gives you a (possibly
198incomplete) list of the modules that have been further installed on
199your system. (The perllocal.pod file is updated by the standard MakeMaker
200install process.)
201
202=head2 Extension Modules
203
204Extension modules are written in C (or a mix of Perl and C). They
205are usually dynamically loaded into Perl if and when you need them,
206but may also be linked in statically. Supported extension modules
207include Socket, Fcntl, and POSIX.
208
209Many popular C extension modules do not come bundled (at least, not
210completely) due to their sizes, volatility, or simply lack of time
211for adequate testing and configuration across the multitude of
212platforms on which Perl was beta-tested. You are encouraged to
213look for them on CPAN (described below), or using web search engines
214like Alta Vista or Google.
215
216=head1 CPAN
217
218CPAN stands for Comprehensive Perl Archive Network; it's a globally
219replicated trove of Perl materials, including documentation, style
220guides, tricks and traps, alternate ports to non-Unix systems and
221occasional binary distributions for these. Search engines for
222CPAN can be found at http://www.cpan.org/
223
224Most importantly, CPAN includes around a thousand unbundled modules,
225some of which require a C compiler to build. Major categories of
226modules are:
227
228=over
229
230=item *
231
232Language Extensions and Documentation Tools
233
234=item *
235
236Development Support
237
238=item *
239
240Operating System Interfaces
241
242=item *
243
244Networking, Device Control (modems) and InterProcess Communication
245
246=item *
247
248Data Types and Data Type Utilities
249
250=item *
251
252Database Interfaces
253
254=item *
255
256User Interfaces
257
258=item *
259
260Interfaces to / Emulations of Other Programming Languages
261
262=item *
263
264File Names, File Systems and File Locking (see also File Handles)
265
266=item *
267
268String Processing, Language Text Processing, Parsing, and Searching
269
270=item *
271
272Option, Argument, Parameter, and Configuration File Processing
273
274=item *
275
276Internationalization and Locale
277
278=item *
279
280Authentication, Security, and Encryption
281
282=item *
283
284World Wide Web, HTML, HTTP, CGI, MIME
285
286=item *
287
288Server and Daemon Utilities
289
290=item *
291
292Archiving and Compression
293
294=item *
295
296Images, Pixmap and Bitmap Manipulation, Drawing, and Graphing
297
298=item *
299
300Mail and Usenet News
301
302=item *
303
304Control Flow Utilities (callbacks and exceptions etc)
305
306=item *
307
308File Handle and Input/Output Stream Utilities
309
310=item *
311
312Miscellaneous Modules
313
314=back
315
316The list of the registered CPAN sites follows.
317Please note that the sorting order is alphabetical on fields:
318
319Continent
320 |
321 |-->Country
322 |
323 |-->[state/province]
324 |
325 |-->ftp
326 |
327 |-->[http]
328
329and thus the North American servers happen to be listed between the
330European and the South American sites.
331
332Registered CPAN sites
333
334=for maintainers
335Generated by Porting/make_modlib_cpan.pl
336
337=head2 Africa
338
339=over 4
340
341=item South Africa
342
343 http://cpan.mirror.ac.za/
344 ftp://cpan.mirror.ac.za/
345 http://mirror.is.co.za/pub/cpan/
346 ftp://ftp.is.co.za/pub/cpan/
347 ftp://ftp.saix.net/pub/CPAN/
348
349=back
350
351=head2 Asia
352
353=over 4
354
355=item China
356
357 http://cpan.wenzk.com/
358
359=item Hong Kong
360
361 http://ftp.cuhk.edu.hk/pub/packages/perl/CPAN/
362 ftp://ftp.cuhk.edu.hk/pub/packages/perl/CPAN/
363 http://mirrors.geoexpat.com/cpan/
364
365=item India
366
367 http://perlmirror.indialinks.com/
368
369=item Indonesia
370
371 http://cpan.biz.net.id/
372 http://komo.vlsm.org/CPAN/
373 ftp://komo.vlsm.org/CPAN/
374 http://cpan.cermin.lipi.go.id/
375 ftp://cermin.lipi.go.id/pub/CPAN/
376 http://cpan.pesat.net.id/
377
378=item Japan
379
380 ftp://ftp.u-aizu.ac.jp/pub/CPAN
381 ftp://ftp.kddilabs.jp/CPAN/
382 http://ftp.nara.wide.ad.jp/pub/CPAN/
383 ftp://ftp.nara.wide.ad.jp/pub/CPAN/
384 http://ftp.jaist.ac.jp/pub/CPAN/
385 ftp://ftp.jaist.ac.jp/pub/CPAN/
386 ftp://ftp.dti.ad.jp/pub/lang/CPAN/
387 ftp://ftp.ring.gr.jp/pub/lang/perl/CPAN/
388 http://ftp.riken.jp/lang/CPAN/
389 ftp://ftp.riken.jp/lang/CPAN/
390 http://ftp.yz.yamagata-u.ac.jp/pub/lang/cpan/
391 ftp://ftp.yz.yamagata-u.ac.jp/pub/lang/cpan/
392
393=item Republic of Korea
394
395 http://ftp.kaist.ac.kr/pub/CPAN
396 ftp://ftp.kaist.ac.kr/pub/CPAN
397 http://cpan.mirror.cdnetworks.com/
398 ftp://cpan.mirror.cdnetworks.com/CPAN/
399 http://cpan.sarang.net/
400 ftp://cpan.sarang.net/CPAN/
401
402=item Russia
403
404 http://cpan.tomsk.ru/
405 ftp://cpan.tomsk.ru/
406
407=item Singapore
408
409 http://mirror.averse.net/pub/CPAN
410 ftp://mirror.averse.net/pub/CPAN
411 http://cpan.mirror.choon.net/
412 http://cpan.oss.eznetsols.org
413 ftp://ftp.oss.eznetsols.org/cpan
414
415=item Taiwan
416
417 http://ftp.cse.yzu.edu.tw/pub/CPAN/
418 ftp://ftp.cse.yzu.edu.tw/pub/CPAN/
419 http://cpan.nctu.edu.tw/
420 ftp://cpan.nctu.edu.tw/
421 ftp://ftp.ncu.edu.tw/CPAN/
422 http://cpan.cdpa.nsysu.edu.tw/
423 ftp://cpan.cdpa.nsysu.edu.tw/Unix/Lang/CPAN/
424 http://cpan.stu.edu.tw
425 ftp://ftp.stu.edu.tw/CPAN
426 http://ftp.stu.edu.tw/CPAN
427 ftp://ftp.stu.edu.tw/pub/CPAN
428 http://cpan.cs.pu.edu.tw/
429 ftp://cpan.cs.pu.edu.tw/pub/CPAN
430
431=item Thailand
432
433 http://mirrors.issp.co.th/cpan/
434 ftp://mirrors.issp.co.th/cpan/
435 http://mirror.yourconnect.com/CPAN/
436 ftp://mirror.yourconnect.com/CPAN/
437
438=item Turkey
439
440 http://cpan.gazi.edu.tr/
441
442=back
443
444=head2 Central America
445
446=over 4
447
448=item Costa Rica
449
450 http://mirrors.ucr.ac.cr/CPAN/
451 ftp://mirrors.ucr.ac.cr/CPAN/
452
453=back
454
455=head2 Europe
456
457=over 4
458
459=item Austria
460
461 http://cpan.inode.at/
462 ftp://cpan.inode.at
463 http://gd.tuwien.ac.at/languages/perl/CPAN/
464 ftp://gd.tuwien.ac.at/pub/CPAN/
465
466=item Belgium
467
468 http://ftp.belnet.be/mirror/ftp.cpan.org/
469 ftp://ftp.belnet.be/mirror/ftp.cpan.org/
470 http://ftp.easynet.be/pub/CPAN/
471 http://cpan.weepee.org/
472
473=item Bosnia and Herzegovina
474
475 http://cpan.blic.net/
476
477=item Bulgaria
478
479 http://cpan.cbox.biz/
480 ftp://cpan.cbox.biz/cpan/
481 http://cpan.digsys.bg/
482 ftp://ftp.digsys.bg/pub/CPAN
483
484=item Croatia
485
486 http://ftp.carnet.hr/pub/CPAN/
487 ftp://ftp.carnet.hr/pub/CPAN/
488
489=item Czech Republic
490
491 ftp://ftp.fi.muni.cz/pub/CPAN/
492 http://archive.cpan.cz/
493
494=item Denmark
495
496 http://mirrors.dotsrc.org/cpan
497 ftp://mirrors.dotsrc.org/cpan/
498 http://www.cpan.dk/
499 http://mirror.uni-c.dk/pub/CPAN/
500
501=item Finland
502
503 ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
504 http://mirror.eunet.fi/CPAN
505
506=item France
507
508 http://cpan.enstimac.fr/
509 ftp://ftp.inria.fr/pub/CPAN/
510 http://distrib-coffee.ipsl.jussieu.fr/pub/mirrors/cpan/
511 ftp://distrib-coffee.ipsl.jussieu.fr/pub/mirrors/cpan/
512 ftp://ftp.lip6.fr/pub/perl/CPAN/
513 http://mir2.ovh.net/ftp.cpan.org
514 ftp://mir1.ovh.net/ftp.cpan.org
515 ftp://ftp.oleane.net/pub/CPAN/
516 http://ftp.crihan.fr/mirrors/ftp.cpan.org/
517 ftp://ftp.crihan.fr/mirrors/ftp.cpan.org/
518 http://ftp.u-strasbg.fr/CPAN
519 ftp://ftp.u-strasbg.fr/CPAN
520 http://cpan.cict.fr/
521 ftp://cpan.cict.fr/pub/CPAN/
522
523=item Germany
524
525 ftp://ftp.fu-berlin.de/unix/languages/perl/
526 http://mirrors.softliste.de/cpan/
527 ftp://ftp.rub.de/pub/CPAN/
528 http://www.planet-elektronik.de/CPAN/
529 http://ftp.hosteurope.de/pub/CPAN/
530 ftp://ftp.hosteurope.de/pub/CPAN/
531 http://www.mirrorspace.org/cpan/
532 http://mirror.netcologne.de/cpan/
533 ftp://mirror.netcologne.de/cpan/
534 ftp://ftp.freenet.de/pub/ftp.cpan.org/pub/CPAN/
535 http://ftp-stud.hs-esslingen.de/pub/Mirrors/CPAN/
536 ftp://ftp-stud.hs-esslingen.de/pub/Mirrors/CPAN/
537 http://mirrors.zerg.biz/cpan/
538 http://ftp.gwdg.de/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
539 ftp://ftp.gwdg.de/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
540 http://dl.ambiweb.de/mirrors/ftp.cpan.org/
541 http://cpan.mirror.clusters.kg/
542 http://cpan.mirror.iphh.net/
543 ftp://cpan.mirror.iphh.net/pub/CPAN/
544 http://cpan.mirroring.de/
545 http://mirror.informatik.uni-mannheim.de/pub/mirrors/CPAN/
546 ftp://mirror.informatik.uni-mannheim.de/pub/mirrors/CPAN/
547 http://www.chemmedia.de/mirrors/CPAN/
548 http://ftp.cw.net/pub/CPAN/
549 ftp://ftp.cw.net/pub/CPAN/
550 http://cpan.cpantesters.org/
551 ftp://cpan.cpantesters.org/CPAN/
552 http://cpan.mirrored.de/
553 ftp://mirror.petamem.com/CPAN/
554 http://cpan.noris.de/
555 ftp://cpan.noris.de/pub/CPAN/
556 ftp://ftp.mpi-sb.mpg.de/pub/perl/CPAN/
557 ftp://ftp.gmd.de/mirrors/CPAN/
558
559=item Greece
560
561 ftp://ftp.forthnet.gr/pub/languages/perl/CPAN
562 ftp://ftp.ntua.gr/pub/lang/perl/
563 http://cpan.cc.uoc.gr/
564 ftp://ftp.cc.uoc.gr/mirrors/CPAN/
565
566=item Hungary
567
568 http://cpan.mirrors.enexis.hu/
569 ftp://cpan.mirrors.enexis.hu/mirrors/cpan/
570 http://cpan.hu/
571
572=item Iceland
573
574 http://ftp.rhnet.is/pub/CPAN/
575 ftp://ftp.rhnet.is/pub/CPAN/
576
577=item Ireland
578
579 http://ftp.esat.net/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
580 ftp://ftp.esat.net/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
581 http://ftp.heanet.ie/mirrors/ftp.perl.org/pub/CPAN
582 ftp://ftp.heanet.ie/mirrors/ftp.perl.org/pub/CPAN
583
584=item Italy
585
586 http://bo.mirror.garr.it/mirrors/CPAN/
587 http://cpan.panu.it/
588 ftp://ftp.panu.it/pub/mirrors/perl/CPAN/
589
590=item Latvia
591
592 http://kvin.lv/pub/CPAN/
593
594=item Lithuania
595
596 http://ftp.litnet.lt/pub/CPAN/
597 ftp://ftp.litnet.lt/pub/CPAN/
598
599=item Malta
600
601 http://cpan.waldonet.net.mt/
602
603=item Netherlands
604
605 ftp://ftp.quicknet.nl/pub/CPAN/
606 http://mirror.hostfuss.com/CPAN/
607 ftp://mirror.hostfuss.com/CPAN/
608 http://mirrors3.kernel.org/cpan/
609 ftp://mirrors3.kernel.org/pub/CPAN/
610 http://cpan.mirror.versatel.nl/
611 ftp://ftp.mirror.versatel.nl/cpan/
612 ftp://download.xs4all.nl/pub/mirror/CPAN/
613 http://mirror.leaseweb.com/CPAN/
614 ftp://mirror.leaseweb.com/CPAN/
615 ftp://ftp.cpan.nl/pub/CPAN/
616 http://archive.cs.uu.nl/mirror/CPAN/
617 ftp://ftp.cs.uu.nl/mirror/CPAN/
618 http://luxitude.net/cpan/
619
620=item Norway
621
622 ftp://ftp.uninett.no/pub/languages/perl/CPAN
623 ftp://ftp.uit.no/pub/languages/perl/cpan/
624
625=item Poland
626
627 http://piotrkosoft.net/pub/mirrors/CPAN/
628 ftp://ftp.piotrkosoft.net/pub/mirrors/CPAN/
629 http://ftp.man.poznan.pl/pub/CPAN
630 ftp://ftp.man.poznan.pl/pub/CPAN
631 ftp://ftp.ps.pl/pub/CPAN/
632 ftp://sunsite.icm.edu.pl/pub/CPAN/
633 ftp://ftp.tpnet.pl/d4/CPAN/
634
635=item Portugal
636
637 http://cpan.dei.uc.pt/
638 ftp://ftp.dei.uc.pt/pub/CPAN
639 ftp://ftp.ist.utl.pt/pub/CPAN/
640 http://cpan.perl.pt/
641 http://cpan.ip.pt/
642 ftp://cpan.ip.pt/pub/cpan/
643 http://mirrors.nfsi.pt/CPAN/
644 ftp://mirrors.nfsi.pt/pub/CPAN/
645 http://cpan.dcc.fc.up.pt/
646
647=item Romania
648
649 http://ftp.astral.ro/pub/CPAN/
650 ftp://ftp.astral.ro/pub/CPAN/
651 ftp://ftp.lug.ro/CPAN
652 http://mirrors.xservers.ro/CPAN/
653 http://mirrors.hostingromania.ro/ftp.cpan.org/
654 ftp://ftp.hostingromania.ro/mirrors/ftp.cpan.org/
655 ftp://ftp.iasi.roedu.net/pub/mirrors/ftp.cpan.org/
656
657=item Russia
658
659 ftp://ftp.aha.ru/CPAN/
660 http://cpan.rinet.ru/
661 ftp://cpan.rinet.ru/pub/mirror/CPAN/
662 ftp://ftp.SpringDaemons.com/pub/CPAN/
663 http://mirror.rol.ru/CPAN/
664 http://ftp.silvernet.ru/CPAN/
665 http://ftp.spbu.ru/CPAN/
666 ftp://ftp.spbu.ru/CPAN/
667
668=item Slovakia
669
670 http://cpan.fyxm.net/
671
672=item Slovenia
673
674 http://www.klevze.si/cpan
675
676=item Spain
677
678 http://osl.ugr.es/CPAN/
679 ftp://ftp.rediris.es/mirror/CPAN/
680 http://ftp.gui.uva.es/sites/cpan.org/
681 ftp://ftp.gui.uva.es/sites/cpan.org/
682
683=item Sweden
684
685 http://mirrors4.kernel.org/cpan/
686 ftp://mirrors4.kernel.org/pub/CPAN/
687
688=item Switzerland
689
690 http://cpan.mirror.solnet.ch/
691 ftp://ftp.solnet.ch/mirror/CPAN/
692 ftp://ftp.adwired.ch/CPAN/
693 http://mirror.switch.ch/ftp/mirror/CPAN/
694 ftp://mirror.switch.ch/mirror/CPAN/
695
696=item Ukraine
697
698 http://cpan.makeperl.org/
699 ftp://cpan.makeperl.org/pub/CPAN
700 http://cpan.org.ua/
701 http://cpan.gafol.net/
702 ftp://ftp.gafol.net/pub/cpan/
703
704=item United Kingdom
705
706 http://www.mirrorservice.org/sites/ftp.funet.fi/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
707 ftp://ftp.mirrorservice.org/sites/ftp.funet.fi/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
708 http://mirror.tje.me.uk/pub/mirrors/ftp.cpan.org/
709 ftp://mirror.tje.me.uk/pub/mirrors/ftp.cpan.org/
710 http://www.mirror.8086.net/sites/CPAN/
711 ftp://ftp.mirror.8086.net/sites/CPAN/
712 http://cpan.mirror.anlx.net/
713 ftp://ftp.mirror.anlx.net/CPAN/
714 http://mirror.bytemark.co.uk/CPAN/
715 ftp://mirror.bytemark.co.uk/CPAN/
716 http://cpan.etla.org/
717 ftp://cpan.etla.org/pub/CPAN
718 ftp://ftp.demon.co.uk/pub/CPAN/
719 http://mirror.sov.uk.goscomb.net/CPAN/
720 ftp://mirror.sov.uk.goscomb.net/pub/CPAN/
721 http://ftp.plig.net/pub/CPAN/
722 ftp://ftp.plig.net/pub/CPAN/
723 http://ftp.ticklers.org/pub/CPAN/
724 ftp://ftp.ticklers.org/pub/CPAN/
725 http://cpan.mirrors.uk2.net/
726 ftp://mirrors.uk2.net/pub/CPAN/
727 http://mirror.ox.ac.uk/sites/www.cpan.org/
728 ftp://mirror.ox.ac.uk/sites/www.cpan.org/
729
730=back
731
732=head2 North America
733
734=over 4
735
736=item Bahamas
737
738 http://www.securehost.com/mirror/CPAN/
739
740=item Canada
741
742 http://cpan.arcticnetwork.ca
743 ftp://mirror.arcticnetwork.ca/pub/CPAN
744 http://cpan.sunsite.ualberta.ca/
745 ftp://cpan.sunsite.ualberta.ca/pub/CPAN/
746 http://theoryx5.uwinnipeg.ca/pub/CPAN/
747 ftp://theoryx5.uwinnipeg.ca/pub/CPAN/
748 http://arwen.cs.dal.ca/mirror/CPAN/
749 ftp://arwen.cs.dal.ca/pub/mirror/CPAN/
750 http://CPAN.mirror.rafal.ca/
751 ftp://CPAN.mirror.rafal.ca/pub/CPAN/
752 ftp://ftp.nrc.ca/pub/CPAN/
753 http://mirror.csclub.uwaterloo.ca/pub/CPAN/
754 ftp://mirror.csclub.uwaterloo.ca/pub/CPAN/
755
756=item Mexico
757
758 http://www.msg.com.mx/CPAN/
759 ftp://ftp.msg.com.mx/pub/CPAN/
760
761=item United States
762
763=over 8
764
765=item Alabama
766
767 http://mirror.hiwaay.net/CPAN/
768 ftp://mirror.hiwaay.net/CPAN/
769
770=item Arizona
771
772 http://cpan.ezarticleinformation.com/
773
774=item California
775
776 http://cpan.knowledgematters.net/
777 http://cpan.binkerton.com/
778 http://cpan.develooper.com/
779 http://mirrors.gossamer-threads.com/CPAN
780 http://cpan.schatt.com/
781 http://mirrors.kernel.org/cpan/
782 ftp://mirrors.kernel.org/pub/CPAN
783 http://mirrors2.kernel.org/cpan/
784 ftp://mirrors2.kernel.org/pub/CPAN/
785 http://cpan.mirror.facebook.net/
786 http://mirrors1.kernel.org/cpan/
787 ftp://mirrors1.kernel.org/pub/CPAN/
788 http://cpan-sj.viaverio.com/
789 ftp://cpan-sj.viaverio.com/pub/CPAN/
790 http://www.perl.com/CPAN/
791
792=item Florida
793
794 ftp://ftp.cise.ufl.edu/pub/mirrors/CPAN/
795 http://mirror.atlantic.net/pub/CPAN/
796 ftp://mirror.atlantic.net/pub/CPAN/
797
798=item Idaho
799
800 http://mirror.its.uidaho.edu/pub/cpan/
801 ftp://mirror.its.uidaho.edu/cpan/
802
803=item Illinois
804
805 http://cpan.mirrors.hoobly.com/
806 http://cpan.uchicago.edu/pub/CPAN/
807 ftp://cpan.uchicago.edu/pub/CPAN/
808 http://mirrors.servercentral.net/CPAN/
809 http://www.stathy.com/CPAN/
810 ftp://www.stathy.com/CPAN/
811
812=item Indiana
813
814 ftp://ftp.uwsg.iu.edu/pub/perl/CPAN/
815 http://cpan.netnitco.net/
816 ftp://cpan.netnitco.net/pub/mirrors/CPAN/
817 http://ftp.ndlug.nd.edu/pub/perl/
818 ftp://ftp.ndlug.nd.edu/pub/perl/
819
820=item Massachusetts
821
822 http://mirrors.ccs.neu.edu/CPAN/
823
824=item Michigan
825
826 http://ftp.wayne.edu/cpan/
827 ftp://ftp.wayne.edu/cpan/
828
829=item Minnesota
830
831 http://cpan.msi.umn.edu/
832
833=item New Jersey
834
835 http://mirror.datapipe.net/CPAN/
836 ftp://mirror.datapipe.net/pub/CPAN/
837
838=item New York
839
840 http://mirrors.24-7-solutions.net/pub/CPAN/
841 ftp://mirrors.24-7-solutions.net/pub/CPAN/
842 http://mirror.cc.columbia.edu/pub/software/cpan/
843 ftp://mirror.cc.columbia.edu/pub/software/cpan/
844 http://cpan.belfry.net/
845 http://cpan.erlbaum.net/
846 ftp://cpan.erlbaum.net/CPAN/
847 http://cpan.hexten.net/
848 ftp://cpan.hexten.net/
849 ftp://mirror.nyi.net/CPAN/
850 http://mirror.rit.edu/CPAN/
851 ftp://mirror.rit.edu/CPAN/
852
853=item North Carolina
854
855 http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/mirrors/CPAN
856 ftp://ftp.ncsu.edu/pub/mirror/CPAN/
857
858=item Oregon
859
860 http://ftp.osuosl.org/pub/CPAN/
861 ftp://ftp.osuosl.org/pub/CPAN/
862
863=item Pennsylvania
864
865 http://ftp.epix.net/CPAN/
866 ftp://ftp.epix.net/pub/languages/perl/
867 http://cpan.pair.com/
868 ftp://cpan.pair.com/pub/CPAN/
869
870=item South Carolina
871
872 http://cpan.mirror.clemson.edu/
873
874=item Tennessee
875
876 http://mira.sunsite.utk.edu/CPAN/
877
878=item Texas
879
880 http://mirror.uta.edu/CPAN
881
882=item Utah
883
884 ftp://mirror.xmission.com/CPAN/
885
886=item Virginia
887
888 http://cpan-du.viaverio.com/
889 ftp://cpan-du.viaverio.com/pub/CPAN/
890 http://perl.secsup.org/
891 ftp://perl.secsup.org/pub/perl/
892 ftp://mirror.cogentco.com/pub/CPAN/
893
894=item Washington
895
896 http://cpan.llarian.net/
897 ftp://cpan.llarian.net/pub/CPAN/
898 ftp://ftp-mirror.internap.com/pub/CPAN/
899
900=item Wisconsin
901
902 http://cpan.mirrors.tds.net
903 ftp://cpan.mirrors.tds.net/pub/CPAN
904 http://mirror.sit.wisc.edu/pub/CPAN/
905 ftp://mirror.sit.wisc.edu/pub/CPAN/
906
907=back
908
909=back
910
911=head2 Oceania
912
913=over 4
914
915=item Australia
916
917 http://mirror.internode.on.net/pub/cpan/
918 ftp://mirror.internode.on.net/pub/cpan/
919 http://cpan.mirror.aussiehq.net.au/
920 http://mirror.as24220.net/cpan/
921 ftp://mirror.as24220.net/cpan/
922
923=item New Zealand
924
925 ftp://ftp.auckland.ac.nz/pub/perl/CPAN/
926 http://cpan.inspire.net.nz
927 ftp://cpan.inspire.net.nz/cpan
928 http://cpan.catalyst.net.nz/CPAN/
929 ftp://cpan.catalyst.net.nz/pub/CPAN/
930
931=back
932
933=head2 South America
934
935=over 4
936
937=item Argentina
938
939 http://cpan.patan.com.ar/
940 http://cpan.localhost.net.ar
941 ftp://mirrors.localhost.net.ar/pub/mirrors/CPAN
942
943=item Brazil
944
945 ftp://cpan.pop-mg.com.br/pub/CPAN/
946 http://ftp.pucpr.br/CPAN
947 ftp://ftp.pucpr.br/CPAN
948 http://cpan.kinghost.net/
949
950=item Chile
951
952 http://cpan.dcc.uchile.cl/
953 ftp://cpan.dcc.uchile.cl/pub/lang/cpan/
954
955=item Colombia
956
957 http://www.laqee.unal.edu.co/CPAN/
958
959=back
960
961=head2 RSYNC Mirrors
962
963 mirror.as24220.net::cpan
964 cpan.inode.at::CPAN
965 gd.tuwien.ac.at::CPAN
966 ftp.belnet.be::packages/cpan
967 rsync.linorg.usp.br::CPAN
968 rsync.arcticnetwork.ca::CPAN
969 CPAN.mirror.rafal.ca::CPAN
970 mirror.csclub.uwaterloo.ca::CPAN
971 theoryx5.uwinnipeg.ca::CPAN
972 www.laqee.unal.edu.co::CPAN
973 mirror.uni-c.dk::CPAN
974 rsync.nic.funet.fi::CPAN
975 rsync://distrib-coffee.ipsl.jussieu.fr/pub/mirrors/cpan/
976 mir1.ovh.net::CPAN
977 miroir-francais.fr::cpan
978 ftp.crihan.fr::CPAN
979 rsync://mirror.cict.fr/cpan/
980 rsync://mirror.netcologne.de/cpan/
981 ftp-stud.hs-esslingen.de::CPAN/
982 ftp.gwdg.de::FTP/languages/perl/CPAN/
983 cpan.mirror.iphh.net::CPAN
984 cpan.cpantesters.org::cpan
985 cpan.hu::CPAN
986 komo.vlsm.org::CPAN
987 mirror.unej.ac.id::cpan
988 ftp.esat.net::/pub/languages/perl/CPAN
989 ftp.heanet.ie::mirrors/ftp.perl.org/pub/CPAN
990 rsync.panu.it::CPAN
991 cpan.fastbull.org::CPAN
992 ftp.kddilabs.jp::cpan
993 ftp.nara.wide.ad.jp::cpan/
994 rsync://ftp.jaist.ac.jp/pub/CPAN/
995 rsync://ftp.riken.jp/cpan/
996 mirror.linuxiso.kz::CPAN
997 rsync://mirrors3.kernel.org/mirrors/CPAN/
998 rsync://rsync.osmirror.nl/cpan/
999 mirror.leaseweb.com::CPAN
1000 cpan.nautile.nc::CPAN
1001 mirror.icis.pcz.pl::CPAN
1002 piotrkosoft.net::mirrors/CPAN
1003 rsync://cpan.perl.pt/
1004 ftp.kaist.ac.kr::cpan
1005 cpan.sarang.net::CPAN
1006 mirror.averse.net::cpan
1007 rsync.oss.eznetsols.org
1008 mirror.ac.za::cpan
1009 ftp.is.co.za::IS-Mirror/ftp.cpan.org/
1010 rsync://ftp.gui.uva.es/cpan/
1011 rsync://mirrors4.kernel.org/mirrors/CPAN/
1012 ftp.solnet.ch::CPAN
1013 ftp.ulak.net.tr::CPAN
1014 gafol.net::cpan
1015 rsync.mirrorservice.org::ftp.funet.fi/pub/
1016 rsync://rsync.mirror.8086.net/CPAN/
1017 rsync.mirror.anlx.net::CPAN
1018 mirror.bytemark.co.uk::CPAN
1019 ftp.plig.net::CPAN
1020 rsync://ftp.ticklers.org:CPAN/
1021 mirrors.ibiblio.org::CPAN
1022 cpan-du.viaverio.com::CPAN
1023 mirror.hiwaay.net::CPAN
1024 rsync://mira.sunsite.utk.edu/CPAN/
1025 cpan.mirrors.tds.net::CPAN
1026 mirror.its.uidaho.edu::cpan
1027 rsync://mirror.cc.columbia.edu::cpan/
1028 ftp.fxcorporate.com::CPAN
1029 rsync.atlantic.net::CPAN
1030 mirrors.kernel.org::mirrors/CPAN
1031 rsync://mirrors2.kernel.org/mirrors/CPAN/
1032 cpan.pair.com::CPAN
1033 rsync://mirror.rit.edu/CPAN/
1034 rsync://mirror.facebook.net/cpan/
1035 rsync://mirrors1.kernel.org/mirrors/CPAN/
1036 cpan-sj.viaverio.com::CPAN
1037
1038For an up-to-date listing of CPAN sites,
1039see http://www.cpan.org/SITES or ftp://www.cpan.org/SITES .
1040
1041=head1 Modules: Creation, Use, and Abuse
1042
1043(The following section is borrowed directly from Tim Bunce's modules
1044file, available at your nearest CPAN site.)
1045
1046Perl implements a class using a package, but the presence of a
1047package doesn't imply the presence of a class. A package is just a
1048namespace. A class is a package that provides subroutines that can be
1049used as methods. A method is just a subroutine that expects, as its
1050first argument, either the name of a package (for "static" methods),
1051or a reference to something (for "virtual" methods).
1052
1053A module is a file that (by convention) provides a class of the same
1054name (sans the .pm), plus an import method in that class that can be
1055called to fetch exported symbols. This module may implement some of
1056its methods by loading dynamic C or C++ objects, but that should be
1057totally transparent to the user of the module. Likewise, the module
1058might set up an AUTOLOAD function to slurp in subroutine definitions on
1059demand, but this is also transparent. Only the F<.pm> file is required to
1060exist. See L<perlsub>, L<perlobj>, and L<AutoLoader> for details about
1061the AUTOLOAD mechanism.
1062
1063=head2 Guidelines for Module Creation
1064
1065=over 4
1066
1067=item *
1068
1069Do similar modules already exist in some form?
1070
1071If so, please try to reuse the existing modules either in whole or
1072by inheriting useful features into a new class. If this is not
1073practical try to get together with the module authors to work on
1074extending or enhancing the functionality of the existing modules.
1075A perfect example is the plethora of packages in perl4 for dealing
1076with command line options.
1077
1078If you are writing a module to expand an already existing set of
1079modules, please coordinate with the author of the package. It
1080helps if you follow the same naming scheme and module interaction
1081scheme as the original author.
1082
1083=item *
1084
1085Try to design the new module to be easy to extend and reuse.
1086
1087Try to C<use warnings;> (or C<use warnings qw(...);>).
1088Remember that you can add C<no warnings qw(...);> to individual blocks
1089of code that need less warnings.
1090
1091Use blessed references. Use the two argument form of bless to bless
1092into the class name given as the first parameter of the constructor,
1093e.g.,:
1094
1095 sub new {
1096 my $class = shift;
1097 return bless {}, $class;
1098 }
1099
1100or even this if you'd like it to be used as either a static
1101or a virtual method.
1102
1103 sub new {
1104 my $self = shift;
1105 my $class = ref($self) || $self;
1106 return bless {}, $class;
1107 }
1108
1109Pass arrays as references so more parameters can be added later
1110(it's also faster). Convert functions into methods where
1111appropriate. Split large methods into smaller more flexible ones.
1112Inherit methods from other modules if appropriate.
1113
1114Avoid class name tests like: C<die "Invalid" unless ref $ref eq 'FOO'>.
1115Generally you can delete the C<eq 'FOO'> part with no harm at all.
1116Let the objects look after themselves! Generally, avoid hard-wired
1117class names as far as possible.
1118
1119Avoid C<< $r->Class::func() >> where using C<@ISA=qw(... Class ...)> and
1120C<< $r->func() >> would work.
1121
1122Use autosplit so little used or newly added functions won't be a
1123burden to programs that don't use them. Add test functions to
1124the module after __END__ either using AutoSplit or by saying:
1125
1126 eval join('',<main::DATA>) || die $@ unless caller();
1127
1128Does your module pass the 'empty subclass' test? If you say
1129C<@SUBCLASS::ISA = qw(YOURCLASS);> your applications should be able
1130to use SUBCLASS in exactly the same way as YOURCLASS. For example,
1131does your application still work if you change: C<< $obj = YOURCLASS->new(); >>
1132into: C<< $obj = SUBCLASS->new(); >> ?
1133
1134Avoid keeping any state information in your packages. It makes it
1135difficult for multiple other packages to use yours. Keep state
1136information in objects.
1137
1138Always use B<-w>.
1139
1140Try to C<use strict;> (or C<use strict qw(...);>).
1141Remember that you can add C<no strict qw(...);> to individual blocks
1142of code that need less strictness.
1143
1144Always use B<-w>.
1145
1146Follow the guidelines in L<perlstyle>.
1147
1148Always use B<-w>.
1149
1150=item *
1151
1152Some simple style guidelines
1153
1154The perlstyle manual supplied with Perl has many helpful points.
1155
1156Coding style is a matter of personal taste. Many people evolve their
1157style over several years as they learn what helps them write and
1158maintain good code. Here's one set of assorted suggestions that
1159seem to be widely used by experienced developers:
1160
1161Use underscores to separate words. It is generally easier to read
1162$var_names_like_this than $VarNamesLikeThis, especially for
1163non-native speakers of English. It's also a simple rule that works
1164consistently with VAR_NAMES_LIKE_THIS.
1165
1166Package/Module names are an exception to this rule. Perl informally
1167reserves lowercase module names for 'pragma' modules like integer
1168and strict. Other modules normally begin with a capital letter and
1169use mixed case with no underscores (need to be short and portable).
1170
1171You may find it helpful to use letter case to indicate the scope
1172or nature of a variable. For example:
1173
1174 $ALL_CAPS_HERE constants only (beware clashes with Perl vars)
1175 $Some_Caps_Here package-wide global/static
1176 $no_caps_here function scope my() or local() variables
1177
1178Function and method names seem to work best as all lowercase.
1179e.g., C<< $obj->as_string() >>.
1180
1181You can use a leading underscore to indicate that a variable or
1182function should not be used outside the package that defined it.
1183
1184=item *
1185
1186Select what to export.
1187
1188Do NOT export method names!
1189
1190Do NOT export anything else by default without a good reason!
1191
1192Exports pollute the namespace of the module user. If you must
1193export try to use @EXPORT_OK in preference to @EXPORT and avoid
1194short or common names to reduce the risk of name clashes.
1195
1196Generally anything not exported is still accessible from outside the
1197module using the ModuleName::item_name (or C<< $blessed_ref->method >>)
1198syntax. By convention you can use a leading underscore on names to
1199indicate informally that they are 'internal' and not for public use.
1200
1201(It is actually possible to get private functions by saying:
1202C<my $subref = sub { ... }; &$subref;>. But there's no way to call that
1203directly as a method, because a method must have a name in the symbol
1204table.)
1205
1206As a general rule, if the module is trying to be object oriented
1207then export nothing. If it's just a collection of functions then
1208@EXPORT_OK anything but use @EXPORT with caution.
1209
1210=item *
1211
1212Select a name for the module.
1213
1214This name should be as descriptive, accurate, and complete as
1215possible. Avoid any risk of ambiguity. Always try to use two or
1216more whole words. Generally the name should reflect what is special
1217about what the module does rather than how it does it. Please use
1218nested module names to group informally or categorize a module.
1219There should be a very good reason for a module not to have a nested name.
1220Module names should begin with a capital letter.
1221
1222Having 57 modules all called Sort will not make life easy for anyone
1223(though having 23 called Sort::Quick is only marginally better :-).
1224Imagine someone trying to install your module alongside many others.
1225If in any doubt ask for suggestions in comp.lang.perl.misc.
1226
1227If you are developing a suite of related modules/classes it's good
1228practice to use nested classes with a common prefix as this will
1229avoid namespace clashes. For example: Xyz::Control, Xyz::View,
1230Xyz::Model etc. Use the modules in this list as a naming guide.
1231
1232If adding a new module to a set, follow the original author's
1233standards for naming modules and the interface to methods in
1234those modules.
1235
1236If developing modules for private internal or project specific use,
1237that will never be released to the public, then you should ensure
1238that their names will not clash with any future public module. You
1239can do this either by using the reserved Local::* category or by
1240using a category name that includes an underscore like Foo_Corp::*.
1241
1242To be portable each component of a module name should be limited to
124311 characters. If it might be used on MS-DOS then try to ensure each is
1244unique in the first 8 characters. Nested modules make this easier.
1245
1246=item *
1247
1248Have you got it right?
1249
1250How do you know that you've made the right decisions? Have you
1251picked an interface design that will cause problems later? Have
1252you picked the most appropriate name? Do you have any questions?
1253
1254The best way to know for sure, and pick up many helpful suggestions,
1255is to ask someone who knows. Comp.lang.perl.misc is read by just about
1256all the people who develop modules and it's the best place to ask.
1257
1258All you need to do is post a short summary of the module, its
1259purpose and interfaces. A few lines on each of the main methods is
1260probably enough. (If you post the whole module it might be ignored
1261by busy people - generally the very people you want to read it!)
1262
1263Don't worry about posting if you can't say when the module will be
1264ready - just say so in the message. It might be worth inviting
1265others to help you, they may be able to complete it for you!
1266
1267=item *
1268
1269README and other Additional Files.
1270
1271It's well known that software developers usually fully document the
1272software they write. If, however, the world is in urgent need of
1273your software and there is not enough time to write the full
1274documentation please at least provide a README file containing:
1275
1276=over 10
1277
1278=item *
1279
1280A description of the module/package/extension etc.
1281
1282=item *
1283
1284A copyright notice - see below.
1285
1286=item *
1287
1288Prerequisites - what else you may need to have.
1289
1290=item *
1291
1292How to build it - possible changes to Makefile.PL etc.
1293
1294=item *
1295
1296How to install it.
1297
1298=item *
1299
1300Recent changes in this release, especially incompatibilities
1301
1302=item *
1303
1304Changes / enhancements you plan to make in the future.
1305
1306=back
1307
1308If the README file seems to be getting too large you may wish to
1309split out some of the sections into separate files: INSTALL,
1310Copying, ToDo etc.
1311
1312=over 4
1313
1314=item *
1315
1316Adding a Copyright Notice.
1317
1318How you choose to license your work is a personal decision.
1319The general mechanism is to assert your Copyright and then make
1320a declaration of how others may copy/use/modify your work.
1321
1322Perl, for example, is supplied with two types of licence: The GNU GPL
1323and The Artistic Licence (see the files README, Copying, and Artistic,
1324or L<perlgpl> and L<perlartistic>). Larry has good reasons for NOT
1325just using the GNU GPL.
1326
1327My personal recommendation, out of respect for Larry, Perl, and the
1328Perl community at large is to state something simply like:
1329
1330 Copyright (c) 1995 Your Name. All rights reserved.
1331 This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
1332 modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.
1333
1334This statement should at least appear in the README file. You may
1335also wish to include it in a Copying file and your source files.
1336Remember to include the other words in addition to the Copyright.
1337
1338=item *
1339
1340Give the module a version/issue/release number.
1341
1342To be fully compatible with the Exporter and MakeMaker modules you
1343should store your module's version number in a non-my package
1344variable called $VERSION. This should be a positive floating point
1345number with at least two digits after the decimal (i.e., hundredths,
1346e.g, C<$VERSION = "0.01">). Don't use a "1.3.2" style version.
1347See L<Exporter> for details.
1348
1349It may be handy to add a function or method to retrieve the number.
1350Use the number in announcements and archive file names when
1351releasing the module (ModuleName-1.02.tar.Z).
1352See perldoc ExtUtils::MakeMaker.pm for details.
1353
1354=item *
1355
1356How to release and distribute a module.
1357
1358It's good idea to post an announcement of the availability of your
1359module (or the module itself if small) to the comp.lang.perl.announce
1360Usenet newsgroup. This will at least ensure very wide once-off
1361distribution.
1362
1363If possible, register the module with CPAN. You should
1364include details of its location in your announcement.
1365
1366Some notes about ftp archives: Please use a long descriptive file
1367name that includes the version number. Most incoming directories
1368will not be readable/listable, i.e., you won't be able to see your
1369file after uploading it. Remember to send your email notification
1370message as soon as possible after uploading else your file may get
1371deleted automatically. Allow time for the file to be processed
1372and/or check the file has been processed before announcing its
1373location.
1374
1375FTP Archives for Perl Modules:
1376
1377Follow the instructions and links on:
1378
1379 http://www.cpan.org/modules/00modlist.long.html
1380 http://www.cpan.org/modules/04pause.html
1381
1382or upload to one of these sites:
1383
1384 https://pause.kbx.de/pause/
1385 http://pause.perl.org/
1386
1387and notify <modules@perl.org>.
1388
1389By using the WWW interface you can ask the Upload Server to mirror
1390your modules from your ftp or WWW site into your own directory on
1391CPAN!
1392
1393Please remember to send me an updated entry for the Module list!
1394
1395=item *
1396
1397Take care when changing a released module.
1398
1399Always strive to remain compatible with previous released versions.
1400Otherwise try to add a mechanism to revert to the
1401old behavior if people rely on it. Document incompatible changes.
1402
1403=back
1404
1405=back
1406
1407=head2 Guidelines for Converting Perl 4 Library Scripts into Modules
1408
1409=over 4
1410
1411=item *
1412
1413There is no requirement to convert anything.
1414
1415If it ain't broke, don't fix it! Perl 4 library scripts should
1416continue to work with no problems. You may need to make some minor
1417changes (like escaping non-array @'s in double quoted strings) but
1418there is no need to convert a .pl file into a Module for just that.
1419
1420=item *
1421
1422Consider the implications.
1423
1424All Perl applications that make use of the script will need to
1425be changed (slightly) if the script is converted into a module. Is
1426it worth it unless you plan to make other changes at the same time?
1427
1428=item *
1429
1430Make the most of the opportunity.
1431
1432If you are going to convert the script to a module you can use the
1433opportunity to redesign the interface. The guidelines for module
1434creation above include many of the issues you should consider.
1435
1436=item *
1437
1438The pl2pm utility will get you started.
1439
1440This utility will read *.pl files (given as parameters) and write
1441corresponding *.pm files. The pl2pm utilities does the following:
1442
1443=over 10
1444
1445=item *
1446
1447Adds the standard Module prologue lines
1448
1449=item *
1450
1451Converts package specifiers from ' to ::
1452
1453=item *
1454
1455Converts die(...) to croak(...)
1456
1457=item *
1458
1459Several other minor changes
1460
1461=back
1462
1463Being a mechanical process pl2pm is not bullet proof. The converted
1464code will need careful checking, especially any package statements.
1465Don't delete the original .pl file till the new .pm one works!
1466
1467=back
1468
1469=head2 Guidelines for Reusing Application Code
1470
1471=over 4
1472
1473=item *
1474
1475Complete applications rarely belong in the Perl Module Library.
1476
1477=item *
1478
1479Many applications contain some Perl code that could be reused.
1480
1481Help save the world! Share your code in a form that makes it easy
1482to reuse.
1483
1484=item *
1485
1486Break-out the reusable code into one or more separate module files.
1487
1488=item *
1489
1490Take the opportunity to reconsider and redesign the interfaces.
1491
1492=item *
1493
1494In some cases the 'application' can then be reduced to a small
1495
1496fragment of code built on top of the reusable modules. In these cases
1497the application could invoked as:
1498
1499 % perl -e 'use Module::Name; method(@ARGV)' ...
1500or
1501 % perl -mModule::Name ... (in perl5.002 or higher)
1502
1503=back
1504
1505=head1 NOTE
1506
1507Perl does not enforce private and public parts of its modules as you may
1508have been used to in other languages like C++, Ada, or Modula-17. Perl
1509doesn't have an infatuation with enforced privacy. It would prefer
1510that you stayed out of its living room because you weren't invited, not
1511because it has a shotgun.
1512
1513The module and its user have a contract, part of which is common law,
1514and part of which is "written". Part of the common law contract is
1515that a module doesn't pollute any namespace it wasn't asked to. The
1516written contract for the module (A.K.A. documentation) may make other
1517provisions. But then you know when you C<use RedefineTheWorld> that
1518you're redefining the world and willing to take the consequences.
1519
1520=cut
1521
1522read_only_bottom_close_and_rename($out);