xref: /openbsd-src/gnu/usr.bin/perl/pod/perlmodlib.PL (revision 50b7afb2c2c0993b0894d4e34bf857cb13ed9c80)
1#!../miniperl
2
3use strict;
4use warnings;
5
6$ENV{LC_ALL} = 'C';
7
8use FindBin;
9chdir $FindBin::Bin or die "$0: Can't chdir $FindBin::Bin: $!";
10
11my $Quiet = @ARGV && $ARGV[0] eq '-q';
12
13open (OUT, ">perlmodlib.pod") or die $!;
14my (@pragma, @mod, @files);
15
16# MANIFEST itself is Unix style filenames, so we have to assume that Unix style
17# filenames will work.
18
19open (MANIFEST, "../MANIFEST") or die $!;
20@files = grep m#(?:\.pm|\.pod|_pm\.PL)#, map {s/\s.*//s; $_}
21    grep { m#^(lib|ext|dist|cpan)/# && !m#/(?:t|demo)/# } <MANIFEST>;
22
23my %exceptions = (
24    'abbrev' => 'Text::Abbrev',
25    'carp' => 'Carp',
26    'getopt' => 'Getopt::Std',
27    'B<CGI::Carp>' => 'CGI::Carp',
28    'ModuleInfo' => 'Module::Build::ModuleInfo',
29    '$notes_name' => 'Module::Build::Notes',
30    'Encode::MIME::NAME' => 'Encode::MIME::Name',
31    'libnetFAQ' => 'Net::libnetFAQ',
32);
33
34for my $filename (@files) {
35    unless (open MOD, '<', "../$filename") {
36	warn "Couldn't open ../$filename: $!";
37	next;
38    }
39
40    my ($name, $thing);
41    my $foundit = 0;
42    {
43	local $/ = "";
44	while (<MOD>) {
45	    next unless /^=head1 NAME/;
46	    $foundit++;
47	    last;
48	}
49    }
50    unless ($foundit) {
51	warn "$filename missing =head1 NAME (OK if respective .pod exists)\n"
52	    unless $Quiet;
53	next;
54    }
55    my $title = <MOD>;
56    chomp $title;
57    close MOD;
58
59    ($name, $thing) = split / --? /, $title, 2;
60
61    unless ($name and $thing) {
62	warn "$filename missing name\n"  unless $name;
63	warn "$filename missing thing\n" unless $thing or $Quiet;
64	next;
65    }
66
67    $name =~ s/[^A-Za-z0-9_:\$<>].*//;
68    $name = $exceptions{$name} || $name;
69    $thing =~ s/^perl pragma to //i;
70    $thing = ucfirst $thing;
71    $title = "=item $name\n\n$thing\n\n";
72
73    if ($name =~ /[A-Z]/) {
74	push @mod, $title;
75    } else {
76	push @pragma, $title;
77    }
78}
79
80# Much easier to special case it like this than special case the depending on
81# and parsing lib/Config.pod, or special case opening configpm and finding its
82# =head1 (which is not found with the $/="" above)
83push @mod, "=item Config\n\nAccess Perl configuration information\n\n";
84
85
86# The intent of using =cut as the heredoc terminator is to make the whole file
87# parse as (reasonably) sane Pod as-is to anything that attempts to
88# brute-force treat it as such. The content is already useful - this just
89# makes it tidier, by stopping anything doing this mistaking the rest of the
90# Perl code for Pod. eg http://search.cpan.org/dist/perl/pod/perlmodlib.PL
91
92print OUT <<'=cut';
93=for maintainers
94Generated by perlmodlib.PL -- DO NOT EDIT!
95
96=head1 NAME
97
98perlmodlib - constructing new Perl modules and finding existing ones
99
100=head1 THE PERL MODULE LIBRARY
101
102Many modules are included in the Perl distribution.  These are described
103below, and all end in F<.pm>.  You may discover compiled library
104files (usually ending in F<.so>) or small pieces of modules to be
105autoloaded (ending in F<.al>); these were automatically generated
106by the installation process.  You may also discover files in the
107library directory that end in either F<.pl> or F<.ph>.  These are
108old libraries supplied so that old programs that use them still
109run.  The F<.pl> files will all eventually be converted into standard
110modules, and the F<.ph> files made by B<h2ph> will probably end up
111as extension modules made by B<h2xs>.  (Some F<.ph> values may
112already be available through the POSIX, Errno, or Fcntl modules.)
113The B<pl2pm> file in the distribution may help in your conversion,
114but it's just a mechanical process and therefore far from bulletproof.
115
116=head2 Pragmatic Modules
117
118They work somewhat like compiler directives (pragmata) in that they
119tend to affect the compilation of your program, and thus will usually
120work well only when used within a C<use>, or C<no>.  Most of these
121are lexically scoped, so an inner BLOCK may countermand them
122by saying:
123
124    no integer;
125    no strict 'refs';
126    no warnings;
127
128which lasts until the end of that BLOCK.
129
130Some pragmas are lexically scoped--typically those that affect the
131C<$^H> hints variable.  Others affect the current package instead,
132like C<use vars> and C<use subs>, which allow you to predeclare a
133variables or subroutines within a particular I<file> rather than
134just a block.  Such declarations are effective for the entire file
135for which they were declared.  You cannot rescind them with C<no
136vars> or C<no subs>.
137
138The following pragmas are defined (and have their own documentation).
139
140=over 12
141
142=cut
143
144print OUT $_ for (sort @pragma);
145
146print OUT <<'=cut';
147
148=back
149
150=head2 Standard Modules
151
152Standard, bundled modules are all expected to behave in a well-defined
153manner with respect to namespace pollution because they use the
154Exporter module.  See their own documentation for details.
155
156It's possible that not all modules listed below are installed on your
157system. For example, the GDBM_File module will not be installed if you
158don't have the gdbm library.
159
160=over 12
161
162=cut
163
164print OUT $_ for (sort @mod);
165
166print OUT <<'=cut';
167
168=back
169
170To find out I<all> modules installed on your system, including
171those without documentation or outside the standard release,
172just use the following command (under the default win32 shell,
173double quotes should be used instead of single quotes).
174
175    % perl -MFile::Find=find -MFile::Spec::Functions -Tlwe \
176      'find { wanted => sub { print canonpath $_ if /\.pm\z/ },
177      no_chdir => 1 }, @INC'
178
179(The -T is here to prevent '.' from being listed in @INC.)
180They should all have their own documentation installed and accessible
181via your system man(1) command.  If you do not have a B<find>
182program, you can use the Perl B<find2perl> program instead, which
183generates Perl code as output you can run through perl.  If you
184have a B<man> program but it doesn't find your modules, you'll have
185to fix your manpath.  See L<perl> for details.  If you have no
186system B<man> command, you might try the B<perldoc> program.
187
188Note also that the command C<perldoc perllocal> gives you a (possibly
189incomplete) list of the modules that have been further installed on
190your system. (The perllocal.pod file is updated by the standard MakeMaker
191install process.)
192
193=head2 Extension Modules
194
195Extension modules are written in C (or a mix of Perl and C).  They
196are usually dynamically loaded into Perl if and when you need them,
197but may also be linked in statically.  Supported extension modules
198include Socket, Fcntl, and POSIX.
199
200Many popular C extension modules do not come bundled (at least, not
201completely) due to their sizes, volatility, or simply lack of time
202for adequate testing and configuration across the multitude of
203platforms on which Perl was beta-tested.  You are encouraged to
204look for them on CPAN (described below), or using web search engines
205like Alta Vista or Google.
206
207=head1 CPAN
208
209CPAN stands for Comprehensive Perl Archive Network; it's a globally
210replicated trove of Perl materials, including documentation, style
211guides, tricks and traps, alternate ports to non-Unix systems and
212occasional binary distributions for these.   Search engines for
213CPAN can be found at http://www.cpan.org/
214
215Most importantly, CPAN includes around a thousand unbundled modules,
216some of which require a C compiler to build.  Major categories of
217modules are:
218
219=over
220
221=item *
222
223Language Extensions and Documentation Tools
224
225=item *
226
227Development Support
228
229=item *
230
231Operating System Interfaces
232
233=item *
234
235Networking, Device Control (modems) and InterProcess Communication
236
237=item *
238
239Data Types and Data Type Utilities
240
241=item *
242
243Database Interfaces
244
245=item *
246
247User Interfaces
248
249=item *
250
251Interfaces to / Emulations of Other Programming Languages
252
253=item *
254
255File Names, File Systems and File Locking (see also File Handles)
256
257=item *
258
259String Processing, Language Text Processing, Parsing, and Searching
260
261=item *
262
263Option, Argument, Parameter, and Configuration File Processing
264
265=item *
266
267Internationalization and Locale
268
269=item *
270
271Authentication, Security, and Encryption
272
273=item *
274
275World Wide Web, HTML, HTTP, CGI, MIME
276
277=item *
278
279Server and Daemon Utilities
280
281=item *
282
283Archiving and Compression
284
285=item *
286
287Images, Pixmap and Bitmap Manipulation, Drawing, and Graphing
288
289=item *
290
291Mail and Usenet News
292
293=item *
294
295Control Flow Utilities (callbacks and exceptions etc)
296
297=item *
298
299File Handle and Input/Output Stream Utilities
300
301=item *
302
303Miscellaneous Modules
304
305=back
306
307The list of the registered CPAN sites follows.
308Please note that the sorting order is alphabetical on fields:
309
310Continent
311   |
312   |-->Country
313         |
314         |-->[state/province]
315                   |
316                   |-->ftp
317                   |
318                   |-->[http]
319
320and thus the North American servers happen to be listed between the
321European and the South American sites.
322
323Registered CPAN sites
324
325=for maintainers
326Generated by Porting/make_modlib_cpan.pl
327
328=head2 Africa
329
330=over 4
331
332=item South Africa
333
334  http://cpan.mirror.ac.za/
335  ftp://cpan.mirror.ac.za/
336  http://mirror.is.co.za/pub/cpan/
337  ftp://ftp.is.co.za/pub/cpan/
338  ftp://ftp.saix.net/pub/CPAN/
339
340=back
341
342=head2 Asia
343
344=over 4
345
346=item China
347
348  http://cpan.wenzk.com/
349
350=item Hong Kong
351
352  http://ftp.cuhk.edu.hk/pub/packages/perl/CPAN/
353  ftp://ftp.cuhk.edu.hk/pub/packages/perl/CPAN/
354  http://mirrors.geoexpat.com/cpan/
355
356=item India
357
358  http://perlmirror.indialinks.com/
359
360=item Indonesia
361
362  http://cpan.biz.net.id/
363  http://komo.vlsm.org/CPAN/
364  ftp://komo.vlsm.org/CPAN/
365  http://cpan.cermin.lipi.go.id/
366  ftp://cermin.lipi.go.id/pub/CPAN/
367  http://cpan.pesat.net.id/
368
369=item Japan
370
371  ftp://ftp.u-aizu.ac.jp/pub/CPAN
372  ftp://ftp.kddilabs.jp/CPAN/
373  http://ftp.nara.wide.ad.jp/pub/CPAN/
374  ftp://ftp.nara.wide.ad.jp/pub/CPAN/
375  http://ftp.jaist.ac.jp/pub/CPAN/
376  ftp://ftp.jaist.ac.jp/pub/CPAN/
377  ftp://ftp.dti.ad.jp/pub/lang/CPAN/
378  ftp://ftp.ring.gr.jp/pub/lang/perl/CPAN/
379  http://ftp.riken.jp/lang/CPAN/
380  ftp://ftp.riken.jp/lang/CPAN/
381  http://ftp.yz.yamagata-u.ac.jp/pub/lang/cpan/
382  ftp://ftp.yz.yamagata-u.ac.jp/pub/lang/cpan/
383
384=item Republic of Korea
385
386  http://ftp.kaist.ac.kr/pub/CPAN
387  ftp://ftp.kaist.ac.kr/pub/CPAN
388  http://cpan.mirror.cdnetworks.com/
389  ftp://cpan.mirror.cdnetworks.com/CPAN/
390  http://cpan.sarang.net/
391  ftp://cpan.sarang.net/CPAN/
392
393=item Russia
394
395  http://cpan.tomsk.ru/
396  ftp://cpan.tomsk.ru/
397
398=item Singapore
399
400  http://mirror.averse.net/pub/CPAN
401  ftp://mirror.averse.net/pub/CPAN
402  http://cpan.mirror.choon.net/
403  http://cpan.oss.eznetsols.org
404  ftp://ftp.oss.eznetsols.org/cpan
405
406=item Taiwan
407
408  http://ftp.cse.yzu.edu.tw/pub/CPAN/
409  ftp://ftp.cse.yzu.edu.tw/pub/CPAN/
410  http://cpan.nctu.edu.tw/
411  ftp://cpan.nctu.edu.tw/
412  ftp://ftp.ncu.edu.tw/CPAN/
413  http://cpan.cdpa.nsysu.edu.tw/
414  ftp://cpan.cdpa.nsysu.edu.tw/Unix/Lang/CPAN/
415  http://cpan.stu.edu.tw
416  ftp://ftp.stu.edu.tw/CPAN
417  http://ftp.stu.edu.tw/CPAN
418  ftp://ftp.stu.edu.tw/pub/CPAN
419  http://cpan.cs.pu.edu.tw/
420  ftp://cpan.cs.pu.edu.tw/pub/CPAN
421
422=item Thailand
423
424  http://mirrors.issp.co.th/cpan/
425  ftp://mirrors.issp.co.th/cpan/
426  http://mirror.yourconnect.com/CPAN/
427  ftp://mirror.yourconnect.com/CPAN/
428
429=item Turkey
430
431  http://cpan.gazi.edu.tr/
432
433=back
434
435=head2 Central America
436
437=over 4
438
439=item Costa Rica
440
441  http://mirrors.ucr.ac.cr/CPAN/
442  ftp://mirrors.ucr.ac.cr/CPAN/
443
444=back
445
446=head2 Europe
447
448=over 4
449
450=item Austria
451
452  http://cpan.inode.at/
453  ftp://cpan.inode.at
454  http://gd.tuwien.ac.at/languages/perl/CPAN/
455  ftp://gd.tuwien.ac.at/pub/CPAN/
456
457=item Belgium
458
459  http://ftp.belnet.be/mirror/ftp.cpan.org/
460  ftp://ftp.belnet.be/mirror/ftp.cpan.org/
461  http://ftp.easynet.be/pub/CPAN/
462  http://cpan.weepee.org/
463
464=item Bosnia and Herzegovina
465
466  http://cpan.blic.net/
467
468=item Bulgaria
469
470  http://cpan.cbox.biz/
471  ftp://cpan.cbox.biz/cpan/
472  http://cpan.digsys.bg/
473  ftp://ftp.digsys.bg/pub/CPAN
474
475=item Croatia
476
477  http://ftp.carnet.hr/pub/CPAN/
478  ftp://ftp.carnet.hr/pub/CPAN/
479
480=item Czech Republic
481
482  ftp://ftp.fi.muni.cz/pub/CPAN/
483  http://archive.cpan.cz/
484
485=item Denmark
486
487  http://mirrors.dotsrc.org/cpan
488  ftp://mirrors.dotsrc.org/cpan/
489  http://www.cpan.dk/
490  http://mirror.uni-c.dk/pub/CPAN/
491
492=item Finland
493
494  ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
495  http://mirror.eunet.fi/CPAN
496
497=item France
498
499  http://cpan.enstimac.fr/
500  ftp://ftp.inria.fr/pub/CPAN/
501  http://distrib-coffee.ipsl.jussieu.fr/pub/mirrors/cpan/
502  ftp://distrib-coffee.ipsl.jussieu.fr/pub/mirrors/cpan/
503  ftp://ftp.lip6.fr/pub/perl/CPAN/
504  http://mir2.ovh.net/ftp.cpan.org
505  ftp://mir1.ovh.net/ftp.cpan.org
506  ftp://ftp.oleane.net/pub/CPAN/
507  http://ftp.crihan.fr/mirrors/ftp.cpan.org/
508  ftp://ftp.crihan.fr/mirrors/ftp.cpan.org/
509  http://ftp.u-strasbg.fr/CPAN
510  ftp://ftp.u-strasbg.fr/CPAN
511  http://cpan.cict.fr/
512  ftp://cpan.cict.fr/pub/CPAN/
513
514=item Germany
515
516  ftp://ftp.fu-berlin.de/unix/languages/perl/
517  http://mirrors.softliste.de/cpan/
518  ftp://ftp.rub.de/pub/CPAN/
519  http://www.planet-elektronik.de/CPAN/
520  http://ftp.hosteurope.de/pub/CPAN/
521  ftp://ftp.hosteurope.de/pub/CPAN/
522  http://www.mirrorspace.org/cpan/
523  http://mirror.netcologne.de/cpan/
524  ftp://mirror.netcologne.de/cpan/
525  ftp://ftp.freenet.de/pub/ftp.cpan.org/pub/CPAN/
526  http://ftp-stud.hs-esslingen.de/pub/Mirrors/CPAN/
527  ftp://ftp-stud.hs-esslingen.de/pub/Mirrors/CPAN/
528  http://mirrors.zerg.biz/cpan/
529  http://ftp.gwdg.de/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
530  ftp://ftp.gwdg.de/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
531  http://dl.ambiweb.de/mirrors/ftp.cpan.org/
532  http://cpan.mirror.clusters.kg/
533  http://cpan.mirror.iphh.net/
534  ftp://cpan.mirror.iphh.net/pub/CPAN/
535  http://cpan.mirroring.de/
536  http://mirror.informatik.uni-mannheim.de/pub/mirrors/CPAN/
537  ftp://mirror.informatik.uni-mannheim.de/pub/mirrors/CPAN/
538  http://www.chemmedia.de/mirrors/CPAN/
539  http://ftp.cw.net/pub/CPAN/
540  ftp://ftp.cw.net/pub/CPAN/
541  http://cpan.cpantesters.org/
542  ftp://cpan.cpantesters.org/CPAN/
543  http://cpan.mirrored.de/
544  ftp://mirror.petamem.com/CPAN/
545  http://cpan.noris.de/
546  ftp://cpan.noris.de/pub/CPAN/
547  ftp://ftp.mpi-sb.mpg.de/pub/perl/CPAN/
548  ftp://ftp.gmd.de/mirrors/CPAN/
549
550=item Greece
551
552  ftp://ftp.forthnet.gr/pub/languages/perl/CPAN
553  ftp://ftp.ntua.gr/pub/lang/perl/
554  http://cpan.cc.uoc.gr/
555  ftp://ftp.cc.uoc.gr/mirrors/CPAN/
556
557=item Hungary
558
559  http://cpan.mirrors.enexis.hu/
560  ftp://cpan.mirrors.enexis.hu/mirrors/cpan/
561  http://cpan.hu/
562
563=item Iceland
564
565  http://ftp.rhnet.is/pub/CPAN/
566  ftp://ftp.rhnet.is/pub/CPAN/
567
568=item Ireland
569
570  http://ftp.esat.net/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
571  ftp://ftp.esat.net/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
572  http://ftp.heanet.ie/mirrors/ftp.perl.org/pub/CPAN
573  ftp://ftp.heanet.ie/mirrors/ftp.perl.org/pub/CPAN
574
575=item Italy
576
577  http://bo.mirror.garr.it/mirrors/CPAN/
578  http://cpan.panu.it/
579  ftp://ftp.panu.it/pub/mirrors/perl/CPAN/
580
581=item Latvia
582
583  http://kvin.lv/pub/CPAN/
584
585=item Lithuania
586
587  http://ftp.litnet.lt/pub/CPAN/
588  ftp://ftp.litnet.lt/pub/CPAN/
589
590=item Malta
591
592  http://cpan.waldonet.net.mt/
593
594=item Netherlands
595
596  ftp://ftp.quicknet.nl/pub/CPAN/
597  http://mirror.hostfuss.com/CPAN/
598  ftp://mirror.hostfuss.com/CPAN/
599  http://mirrors3.kernel.org/cpan/
600  ftp://mirrors3.kernel.org/pub/CPAN/
601  http://cpan.mirror.versatel.nl/
602  ftp://ftp.mirror.versatel.nl/cpan/
603  ftp://download.xs4all.nl/pub/mirror/CPAN/
604  http://mirror.leaseweb.com/CPAN/
605  ftp://mirror.leaseweb.com/CPAN/
606  ftp://ftp.cpan.nl/pub/CPAN/
607  http://archive.cs.uu.nl/mirror/CPAN/
608  ftp://ftp.cs.uu.nl/mirror/CPAN/
609  http://luxitude.net/cpan/
610
611=item Norway
612
613  ftp://ftp.uninett.no/pub/languages/perl/CPAN
614  ftp://ftp.uit.no/pub/languages/perl/cpan/
615
616=item Poland
617
618  http://piotrkosoft.net/pub/mirrors/CPAN/
619  ftp://ftp.piotrkosoft.net/pub/mirrors/CPAN/
620  http://ftp.man.poznan.pl/pub/CPAN
621  ftp://ftp.man.poznan.pl/pub/CPAN
622  ftp://ftp.ps.pl/pub/CPAN/
623  ftp://sunsite.icm.edu.pl/pub/CPAN/
624  ftp://ftp.tpnet.pl/d4/CPAN/
625
626=item Portugal
627
628  http://cpan.dei.uc.pt/
629  ftp://ftp.dei.uc.pt/pub/CPAN
630  ftp://ftp.ist.utl.pt/pub/CPAN/
631  http://cpan.perl.pt/
632  http://cpan.ip.pt/
633  ftp://cpan.ip.pt/pub/cpan/
634  http://mirrors.nfsi.pt/CPAN/
635  ftp://mirrors.nfsi.pt/pub/CPAN/
636  http://cpan.dcc.fc.up.pt/
637
638=item Romania
639
640  http://ftp.astral.ro/pub/CPAN/
641  ftp://ftp.astral.ro/pub/CPAN/
642  ftp://ftp.lug.ro/CPAN
643  http://mirrors.xservers.ro/CPAN/
644  http://mirrors.hostingromania.ro/ftp.cpan.org/
645  ftp://ftp.hostingromania.ro/mirrors/ftp.cpan.org/
646  ftp://ftp.iasi.roedu.net/pub/mirrors/ftp.cpan.org/
647
648=item Russia
649
650  ftp://ftp.aha.ru/CPAN/
651  http://cpan.rinet.ru/
652  ftp://cpan.rinet.ru/pub/mirror/CPAN/
653  ftp://ftp.SpringDaemons.com/pub/CPAN/
654  http://mirror.rol.ru/CPAN/
655  http://ftp.silvernet.ru/CPAN/
656  http://ftp.spbu.ru/CPAN/
657  ftp://ftp.spbu.ru/CPAN/
658
659=item Slovakia
660
661  http://cpan.fyxm.net/
662
663=item Slovenia
664
665  http://www.klevze.si/cpan
666
667=item Spain
668
669  http://osl.ugr.es/CPAN/
670  ftp://ftp.rediris.es/mirror/CPAN/
671  http://ftp.gui.uva.es/sites/cpan.org/
672  ftp://ftp.gui.uva.es/sites/cpan.org/
673
674=item Sweden
675
676  http://mirrors4.kernel.org/cpan/
677  ftp://mirrors4.kernel.org/pub/CPAN/
678
679=item Switzerland
680
681  http://cpan.mirror.solnet.ch/
682  ftp://ftp.solnet.ch/mirror/CPAN/
683  ftp://ftp.adwired.ch/CPAN/
684  http://mirror.switch.ch/ftp/mirror/CPAN/
685  ftp://mirror.switch.ch/mirror/CPAN/
686
687=item Ukraine
688
689  http://cpan.makeperl.org/
690  ftp://cpan.makeperl.org/pub/CPAN
691  http://cpan.org.ua/
692  http://cpan.gafol.net/
693  ftp://ftp.gafol.net/pub/cpan/
694
695=item United Kingdom
696
697  http://www.mirrorservice.org/sites/ftp.funet.fi/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
698  ftp://ftp.mirrorservice.org/sites/ftp.funet.fi/pub/languages/perl/CPAN/
699  http://mirror.tje.me.uk/pub/mirrors/ftp.cpan.org/
700  ftp://mirror.tje.me.uk/pub/mirrors/ftp.cpan.org/
701  http://www.mirror.8086.net/sites/CPAN/
702  ftp://ftp.mirror.8086.net/sites/CPAN/
703  http://cpan.mirror.anlx.net/
704  ftp://ftp.mirror.anlx.net/CPAN/
705  http://mirror.bytemark.co.uk/CPAN/
706  ftp://mirror.bytemark.co.uk/CPAN/
707  http://cpan.etla.org/
708  ftp://cpan.etla.org/pub/CPAN
709  ftp://ftp.demon.co.uk/pub/CPAN/
710  http://mirror.sov.uk.goscomb.net/CPAN/
711  ftp://mirror.sov.uk.goscomb.net/pub/CPAN/
712  http://ftp.plig.net/pub/CPAN/
713  ftp://ftp.plig.net/pub/CPAN/
714  http://ftp.ticklers.org/pub/CPAN/
715  ftp://ftp.ticklers.org/pub/CPAN/
716  http://cpan.mirrors.uk2.net/
717  ftp://mirrors.uk2.net/pub/CPAN/
718  http://mirror.ox.ac.uk/sites/www.cpan.org/
719  ftp://mirror.ox.ac.uk/sites/www.cpan.org/
720
721=back
722
723=head2 North America
724
725=over 4
726
727=item Bahamas
728
729  http://www.securehost.com/mirror/CPAN/
730
731=item Canada
732
733  http://cpan.arcticnetwork.ca
734  ftp://mirror.arcticnetwork.ca/pub/CPAN
735  http://cpan.sunsite.ualberta.ca/
736  ftp://cpan.sunsite.ualberta.ca/pub/CPAN/
737  http://theoryx5.uwinnipeg.ca/pub/CPAN/
738  ftp://theoryx5.uwinnipeg.ca/pub/CPAN/
739  http://arwen.cs.dal.ca/mirror/CPAN/
740  ftp://arwen.cs.dal.ca/pub/mirror/CPAN/
741  http://CPAN.mirror.rafal.ca/
742  ftp://CPAN.mirror.rafal.ca/pub/CPAN/
743  ftp://ftp.nrc.ca/pub/CPAN/
744  http://mirror.csclub.uwaterloo.ca/pub/CPAN/
745  ftp://mirror.csclub.uwaterloo.ca/pub/CPAN/
746
747=item Mexico
748
749  http://www.msg.com.mx/CPAN/
750  ftp://ftp.msg.com.mx/pub/CPAN/
751
752=item United States
753
754=over 8
755
756=item Alabama
757
758  http://mirror.hiwaay.net/CPAN/
759  ftp://mirror.hiwaay.net/CPAN/
760
761=item Arizona
762
763  http://cpan.ezarticleinformation.com/
764
765=item California
766
767  http://cpan.knowledgematters.net/
768  http://cpan.binkerton.com/
769  http://cpan.develooper.com/
770  http://mirrors.gossamer-threads.com/CPAN
771  http://cpan.schatt.com/
772  http://mirrors.kernel.org/cpan/
773  ftp://mirrors.kernel.org/pub/CPAN
774  http://mirrors2.kernel.org/cpan/
775  ftp://mirrors2.kernel.org/pub/CPAN/
776  http://cpan.mirror.facebook.net/
777  http://mirrors1.kernel.org/cpan/
778  ftp://mirrors1.kernel.org/pub/CPAN/
779  http://cpan-sj.viaverio.com/
780  ftp://cpan-sj.viaverio.com/pub/CPAN/
781  http://www.perl.com/CPAN/
782
783=item Florida
784
785  ftp://ftp.cise.ufl.edu/pub/mirrors/CPAN/
786  http://mirror.atlantic.net/pub/CPAN/
787  ftp://mirror.atlantic.net/pub/CPAN/
788
789=item Idaho
790
791  http://mirror.its.uidaho.edu/pub/cpan/
792  ftp://mirror.its.uidaho.edu/cpan/
793
794=item Illinois
795
796  http://cpan.mirrors.hoobly.com/
797  http://cpan.uchicago.edu/pub/CPAN/
798  ftp://cpan.uchicago.edu/pub/CPAN/
799  http://mirrors.servercentral.net/CPAN/
800  http://www.stathy.com/CPAN/
801  ftp://www.stathy.com/CPAN/
802
803=item Indiana
804
805  ftp://ftp.uwsg.iu.edu/pub/perl/CPAN/
806  http://cpan.netnitco.net/
807  ftp://cpan.netnitco.net/pub/mirrors/CPAN/
808  http://ftp.ndlug.nd.edu/pub/perl/
809  ftp://ftp.ndlug.nd.edu/pub/perl/
810
811=item Massachusetts
812
813  http://mirrors.ccs.neu.edu/CPAN/
814
815=item Michigan
816
817  http://ftp.wayne.edu/cpan/
818  ftp://ftp.wayne.edu/cpan/
819
820=item Minnesota
821
822  http://cpan.msi.umn.edu/
823
824=item New Jersey
825
826  http://mirror.datapipe.net/CPAN/
827  ftp://mirror.datapipe.net/pub/CPAN/
828
829=item New York
830
831  http://mirrors.24-7-solutions.net/pub/CPAN/
832  ftp://mirrors.24-7-solutions.net/pub/CPAN/
833  http://mirror.cc.columbia.edu/pub/software/cpan/
834  ftp://mirror.cc.columbia.edu/pub/software/cpan/
835  http://cpan.belfry.net/
836  http://cpan.erlbaum.net/
837  ftp://cpan.erlbaum.net/CPAN/
838  http://cpan.hexten.net/
839  ftp://cpan.hexten.net/
840  ftp://mirror.nyi.net/CPAN/
841  http://mirror.rit.edu/CPAN/
842  ftp://mirror.rit.edu/CPAN/
843
844=item North Carolina
845
846  http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/mirrors/CPAN
847  ftp://ftp.ncsu.edu/pub/mirror/CPAN/
848
849=item Oregon
850
851  http://ftp.osuosl.org/pub/CPAN/
852  ftp://ftp.osuosl.org/pub/CPAN/
853
854=item Pennsylvania
855
856  http://ftp.epix.net/CPAN/
857  ftp://ftp.epix.net/pub/languages/perl/
858  http://cpan.pair.com/
859  ftp://cpan.pair.com/pub/CPAN/
860
861=item South Carolina
862
863  http://cpan.mirror.clemson.edu/
864
865=item Tennessee
866
867  http://mira.sunsite.utk.edu/CPAN/
868
869=item Texas
870
871  http://mirror.uta.edu/CPAN
872
873=item Utah
874
875  ftp://mirror.xmission.com/CPAN/
876
877=item Virginia
878
879  http://cpan-du.viaverio.com/
880  ftp://cpan-du.viaverio.com/pub/CPAN/
881  http://perl.secsup.org/
882  ftp://perl.secsup.org/pub/perl/
883  ftp://mirror.cogentco.com/pub/CPAN/
884
885=item Washington
886
887  http://cpan.llarian.net/
888  ftp://cpan.llarian.net/pub/CPAN/
889  ftp://ftp-mirror.internap.com/pub/CPAN/
890
891=item Wisconsin
892
893  http://cpan.mirrors.tds.net
894  ftp://cpan.mirrors.tds.net/pub/CPAN
895  http://mirror.sit.wisc.edu/pub/CPAN/
896  ftp://mirror.sit.wisc.edu/pub/CPAN/
897
898=back
899
900=back
901
902=head2 Oceania
903
904=over 4
905
906=item Australia
907
908  http://mirror.internode.on.net/pub/cpan/
909  ftp://mirror.internode.on.net/pub/cpan/
910  http://cpan.mirror.aussiehq.net.au/
911  http://mirror.as24220.net/cpan/
912  ftp://mirror.as24220.net/cpan/
913
914=item New Zealand
915
916  ftp://ftp.auckland.ac.nz/pub/perl/CPAN/
917  http://cpan.inspire.net.nz
918  ftp://cpan.inspire.net.nz/cpan
919  http://cpan.catalyst.net.nz/CPAN/
920  ftp://cpan.catalyst.net.nz/pub/CPAN/
921
922=back
923
924=head2 South America
925
926=over 4
927
928=item Argentina
929
930  http://cpan.patan.com.ar/
931  http://cpan.localhost.net.ar
932  ftp://mirrors.localhost.net.ar/pub/mirrors/CPAN
933
934=item Brazil
935
936  ftp://cpan.pop-mg.com.br/pub/CPAN/
937  http://ftp.pucpr.br/CPAN
938  ftp://ftp.pucpr.br/CPAN
939  http://cpan.kinghost.net/
940
941=item Chile
942
943  http://cpan.dcc.uchile.cl/
944  ftp://cpan.dcc.uchile.cl/pub/lang/cpan/
945
946=item Colombia
947
948  http://www.laqee.unal.edu.co/CPAN/
949
950=back
951
952=head2 RSYNC Mirrors
953
954                      mirror.as24220.net::cpan
955                      cpan.inode.at::CPAN
956                      gd.tuwien.ac.at::CPAN
957                      ftp.belnet.be::packages/cpan
958                      rsync.linorg.usp.br::CPAN
959                      rsync.arcticnetwork.ca::CPAN
960                      CPAN.mirror.rafal.ca::CPAN
961                      mirror.csclub.uwaterloo.ca::CPAN
962                      theoryx5.uwinnipeg.ca::CPAN
963                      www.laqee.unal.edu.co::CPAN
964                      mirror.uni-c.dk::CPAN
965                      rsync.nic.funet.fi::CPAN
966                      rsync://distrib-coffee.ipsl.jussieu.fr/pub/mirrors/cpan/
967                      mir1.ovh.net::CPAN
968                      miroir-francais.fr::cpan
969                      ftp.crihan.fr::CPAN
970                      rsync://mirror.cict.fr/cpan/
971                      rsync://mirror.netcologne.de/cpan/
972                      ftp-stud.hs-esslingen.de::CPAN/
973                      ftp.gwdg.de::FTP/languages/perl/CPAN/
974                      cpan.mirror.iphh.net::CPAN
975                      cpan.cpantesters.org::cpan
976                      cpan.hu::CPAN
977                      komo.vlsm.org::CPAN
978                      mirror.unej.ac.id::cpan
979                      ftp.esat.net::/pub/languages/perl/CPAN
980                      ftp.heanet.ie::mirrors/ftp.perl.org/pub/CPAN
981                      rsync.panu.it::CPAN
982                      cpan.fastbull.org::CPAN
983                      ftp.kddilabs.jp::cpan
984                      ftp.nara.wide.ad.jp::cpan/
985                      rsync://ftp.jaist.ac.jp/pub/CPAN/
986                      rsync://ftp.riken.jp/cpan/
987                      mirror.linuxiso.kz::CPAN
988                      rsync://mirrors3.kernel.org/mirrors/CPAN/
989                      rsync://rsync.osmirror.nl/cpan/
990                      mirror.leaseweb.com::CPAN
991                      cpan.nautile.nc::CPAN
992                      mirror.icis.pcz.pl::CPAN
993                      piotrkosoft.net::mirrors/CPAN
994                      rsync://cpan.perl.pt/
995                      ftp.kaist.ac.kr::cpan
996                      cpan.sarang.net::CPAN
997                      mirror.averse.net::cpan
998                      rsync.oss.eznetsols.org
999                      mirror.ac.za::cpan
1000                      ftp.is.co.za::IS-Mirror/ftp.cpan.org/
1001                      rsync://ftp.gui.uva.es/cpan/
1002                      rsync://mirrors4.kernel.org/mirrors/CPAN/
1003                      ftp.solnet.ch::CPAN
1004                      ftp.ulak.net.tr::CPAN
1005                      gafol.net::cpan
1006                      rsync.mirrorservice.org::ftp.funet.fi/pub/
1007                      rsync://rsync.mirror.8086.net/CPAN/
1008                      rsync.mirror.anlx.net::CPAN
1009                      mirror.bytemark.co.uk::CPAN
1010                      ftp.plig.net::CPAN
1011                      rsync://ftp.ticklers.org:CPAN/
1012                      mirrors.ibiblio.org::CPAN
1013                      cpan-du.viaverio.com::CPAN
1014                      mirror.hiwaay.net::CPAN
1015                      rsync://mira.sunsite.utk.edu/CPAN/
1016                      cpan.mirrors.tds.net::CPAN
1017                      mirror.its.uidaho.edu::cpan
1018                      rsync://mirror.cc.columbia.edu::cpan/
1019                      ftp.fxcorporate.com::CPAN
1020                      rsync.atlantic.net::CPAN
1021                      mirrors.kernel.org::mirrors/CPAN
1022                      rsync://mirrors2.kernel.org/mirrors/CPAN/
1023                      cpan.pair.com::CPAN
1024                      rsync://mirror.rit.edu/CPAN/
1025                      rsync://mirror.facebook.net/cpan/
1026                      rsync://mirrors1.kernel.org/mirrors/CPAN/
1027                      cpan-sj.viaverio.com::CPAN
1028
1029For an up-to-date listing of CPAN sites,
1030see http://www.cpan.org/SITES or ftp://www.cpan.org/SITES .
1031
1032=head1 Modules: Creation, Use, and Abuse
1033
1034(The following section is borrowed directly from Tim Bunce's modules
1035file, available at your nearest CPAN site.)
1036
1037Perl implements a class using a package, but the presence of a
1038package doesn't imply the presence of a class.  A package is just a
1039namespace.  A class is a package that provides subroutines that can be
1040used as methods.  A method is just a subroutine that expects, as its
1041first argument, either the name of a package (for "static" methods),
1042or a reference to something (for "virtual" methods).
1043
1044A module is a file that (by convention) provides a class of the same
1045name (sans the .pm), plus an import method in that class that can be
1046called to fetch exported symbols.  This module may implement some of
1047its methods by loading dynamic C or C++ objects, but that should be
1048totally transparent to the user of the module.  Likewise, the module
1049might set up an AUTOLOAD function to slurp in subroutine definitions on
1050demand, but this is also transparent.  Only the F<.pm> file is required to
1051exist.  See L<perlsub>, L<perlobj>, and L<AutoLoader> for details about
1052the AUTOLOAD mechanism.
1053
1054=head2 Guidelines for Module Creation
1055
1056=over 4
1057
1058=item  *
1059
1060Do similar modules already exist in some form?
1061
1062If so, please try to reuse the existing modules either in whole or
1063by inheriting useful features into a new class.  If this is not
1064practical try to get together with the module authors to work on
1065extending or enhancing the functionality of the existing modules.
1066A perfect example is the plethora of packages in perl4 for dealing
1067with command line options.
1068
1069If you are writing a module to expand an already existing set of
1070modules, please coordinate with the author of the package.  It
1071helps if you follow the same naming scheme and module interaction
1072scheme as the original author.
1073
1074=item  *
1075
1076Try to design the new module to be easy to extend and reuse.
1077
1078Try to C<use warnings;> (or C<use warnings qw(...);>).
1079Remember that you can add C<no warnings qw(...);> to individual blocks
1080of code that need less warnings.
1081
1082Use blessed references.  Use the two argument form of bless to bless
1083into the class name given as the first parameter of the constructor,
1084e.g.,:
1085
1086 sub new {
1087     my $class = shift;
1088     return bless {}, $class;
1089 }
1090
1091or even this if you'd like it to be used as either a static
1092or a virtual method.
1093
1094 sub new {
1095     my $self  = shift;
1096     my $class = ref($self) || $self;
1097     return bless {}, $class;
1098 }
1099
1100Pass arrays as references so more parameters can be added later
1101(it's also faster).  Convert functions into methods where
1102appropriate.  Split large methods into smaller more flexible ones.
1103Inherit methods from other modules if appropriate.
1104
1105Avoid class name tests like: C<die "Invalid" unless ref $ref eq 'FOO'>.
1106Generally you can delete the C<eq 'FOO'> part with no harm at all.
1107Let the objects look after themselves! Generally, avoid hard-wired
1108class names as far as possible.
1109
1110Avoid C<< $r->Class::func() >> where using C<@ISA=qw(... Class ...)> and
1111C<< $r->func() >> would work.
1112
1113Use autosplit so little used or newly added functions won't be a
1114burden to programs that don't use them. Add test functions to
1115the module after __END__ either using AutoSplit or by saying:
1116
1117 eval join('',<main::DATA>) || die $@ unless caller();
1118
1119Does your module pass the 'empty subclass' test? If you say
1120C<@SUBCLASS::ISA = qw(YOURCLASS);> your applications should be able
1121to use SUBCLASS in exactly the same way as YOURCLASS.  For example,
1122does your application still work if you change:  C<< $obj = YOURCLASS->new(); >>
1123into: C<< $obj = SUBCLASS->new(); >> ?
1124
1125Avoid keeping any state information in your packages. It makes it
1126difficult for multiple other packages to use yours. Keep state
1127information in objects.
1128
1129Always use B<-w>.
1130
1131Try to C<use strict;> (or C<use strict qw(...);>).
1132Remember that you can add C<no strict qw(...);> to individual blocks
1133of code that need less strictness.
1134
1135Always use B<-w>.
1136
1137Follow the guidelines in L<perlstyle>.
1138
1139Always use B<-w>.
1140
1141=item  *
1142
1143Some simple style guidelines
1144
1145The perlstyle manual supplied with Perl has many helpful points.
1146
1147Coding style is a matter of personal taste. Many people evolve their
1148style over several years as they learn what helps them write and
1149maintain good code.  Here's one set of assorted suggestions that
1150seem to be widely used by experienced developers:
1151
1152Use underscores to separate words.  It is generally easier to read
1153$var_names_like_this than $VarNamesLikeThis, especially for
1154non-native speakers of English. It's also a simple rule that works
1155consistently with VAR_NAMES_LIKE_THIS.
1156
1157Package/Module names are an exception to this rule. Perl informally
1158reserves lowercase module names for 'pragma' modules like integer
1159and strict. Other modules normally begin with a capital letter and
1160use mixed case with no underscores (need to be short and portable).
1161
1162You may find it helpful to use letter case to indicate the scope
1163or nature of a variable. For example:
1164
1165 $ALL_CAPS_HERE   constants only (beware clashes with Perl vars)
1166 $Some_Caps_Here  package-wide global/static
1167 $no_caps_here    function scope my() or local() variables
1168
1169Function and method names seem to work best as all lowercase.
1170e.g., C<< $obj->as_string() >>.
1171
1172You can use a leading underscore to indicate that a variable or
1173function should not be used outside the package that defined it.
1174
1175=item  *
1176
1177Select what to export.
1178
1179Do NOT export method names!
1180
1181Do NOT export anything else by default without a good reason!
1182
1183Exports pollute the namespace of the module user.  If you must
1184export try to use @EXPORT_OK in preference to @EXPORT and avoid
1185short or common names to reduce the risk of name clashes.
1186
1187Generally anything not exported is still accessible from outside the
1188module using the ModuleName::item_name (or C<< $blessed_ref->method >>)
1189syntax.  By convention you can use a leading underscore on names to
1190indicate informally that they are 'internal' and not for public use.
1191
1192(It is actually possible to get private functions by saying:
1193C<my $subref = sub { ... };  &$subref;>.  But there's no way to call that
1194directly as a method, because a method must have a name in the symbol
1195table.)
1196
1197As a general rule, if the module is trying to be object oriented
1198then export nothing. If it's just a collection of functions then
1199@EXPORT_OK anything but use @EXPORT with caution.
1200
1201=item  *
1202
1203Select a name for the module.
1204
1205This name should be as descriptive, accurate, and complete as
1206possible.  Avoid any risk of ambiguity. Always try to use two or
1207more whole words.  Generally the name should reflect what is special
1208about what the module does rather than how it does it.  Please use
1209nested module names to group informally or categorize a module.
1210There should be a very good reason for a module not to have a nested name.
1211Module names should begin with a capital letter.
1212
1213Having 57 modules all called Sort will not make life easy for anyone
1214(though having 23 called Sort::Quick is only marginally better :-).
1215Imagine someone trying to install your module alongside many others.
1216If in any doubt ask for suggestions in comp.lang.perl.misc.
1217
1218If you are developing a suite of related modules/classes it's good
1219practice to use nested classes with a common prefix as this will
1220avoid namespace clashes. For example: Xyz::Control, Xyz::View,
1221Xyz::Model etc. Use the modules in this list as a naming guide.
1222
1223If adding a new module to a set, follow the original author's
1224standards for naming modules and the interface to methods in
1225those modules.
1226
1227If developing modules for private internal or project specific use,
1228that will never be released to the public, then you should ensure
1229that their names will not clash with any future public module. You
1230can do this either by using the reserved Local::* category or by
1231using a category name that includes an underscore like Foo_Corp::*.
1232
1233To be portable each component of a module name should be limited to
123411 characters. If it might be used on MS-DOS then try to ensure each is
1235unique in the first 8 characters. Nested modules make this easier.
1236
1237=item  *
1238
1239Have you got it right?
1240
1241How do you know that you've made the right decisions? Have you
1242picked an interface design that will cause problems later? Have
1243you picked the most appropriate name? Do you have any questions?
1244
1245The best way to know for sure, and pick up many helpful suggestions,
1246is to ask someone who knows. Comp.lang.perl.misc is read by just about
1247all the people who develop modules and it's the best place to ask.
1248
1249All you need to do is post a short summary of the module, its
1250purpose and interfaces. A few lines on each of the main methods is
1251probably enough. (If you post the whole module it might be ignored
1252by busy people - generally the very people you want to read it!)
1253
1254Don't worry about posting if you can't say when the module will be
1255ready - just say so in the message. It might be worth inviting
1256others to help you, they may be able to complete it for you!
1257
1258=item  *
1259
1260README and other Additional Files.
1261
1262It's well known that software developers usually fully document the
1263software they write. If, however, the world is in urgent need of
1264your software and there is not enough time to write the full
1265documentation please at least provide a README file containing:
1266
1267=over 10
1268
1269=item *
1270
1271A description of the module/package/extension etc.
1272
1273=item *
1274
1275A copyright notice - see below.
1276
1277=item *
1278
1279Prerequisites - what else you may need to have.
1280
1281=item *
1282
1283How to build it - possible changes to Makefile.PL etc.
1284
1285=item *
1286
1287How to install it.
1288
1289=item *
1290
1291Recent changes in this release, especially incompatibilities
1292
1293=item *
1294
1295Changes / enhancements you plan to make in the future.
1296
1297=back
1298
1299If the README file seems to be getting too large you may wish to
1300split out some of the sections into separate files: INSTALL,
1301Copying, ToDo etc.
1302
1303=over 4
1304
1305=item *
1306
1307Adding a Copyright Notice.
1308
1309How you choose to license your work is a personal decision.
1310The general mechanism is to assert your Copyright and then make
1311a declaration of how others may copy/use/modify your work.
1312
1313Perl, for example, is supplied with two types of licence: The GNU GPL
1314and The Artistic Licence (see the files README, Copying, and Artistic,
1315or L<perlgpl> and L<perlartistic>).  Larry has good reasons for NOT
1316just using the GNU GPL.
1317
1318My personal recommendation, out of respect for Larry, Perl, and the
1319Perl community at large is to state something simply like:
1320
1321 Copyright (c) 1995 Your Name. All rights reserved.
1322 This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
1323 modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.
1324
1325This statement should at least appear in the README file. You may
1326also wish to include it in a Copying file and your source files.
1327Remember to include the other words in addition to the Copyright.
1328
1329=item  *
1330
1331Give the module a version/issue/release number.
1332
1333To be fully compatible with the Exporter and MakeMaker modules you
1334should store your module's version number in a non-my package
1335variable called $VERSION.  This should be a positive floating point
1336number with at least two digits after the decimal (i.e., hundredths,
1337e.g, C<$VERSION = "0.01">).  Don't use a "1.3.2" style version.
1338See L<Exporter> for details.
1339
1340It may be handy to add a function or method to retrieve the number.
1341Use the number in announcements and archive file names when
1342releasing the module (ModuleName-1.02.tar.Z).
1343See perldoc ExtUtils::MakeMaker.pm for details.
1344
1345=item  *
1346
1347How to release and distribute a module.
1348
1349It's good idea to post an announcement of the availability of your
1350module (or the module itself if small) to the comp.lang.perl.announce
1351Usenet newsgroup.  This will at least ensure very wide once-off
1352distribution.
1353
1354If possible, register the module with CPAN.  You should
1355include details of its location in your announcement.
1356
1357Some notes about ftp archives: Please use a long descriptive file
1358name that includes the version number. Most incoming directories
1359will not be readable/listable, i.e., you won't be able to see your
1360file after uploading it. Remember to send your email notification
1361message as soon as possible after uploading else your file may get
1362deleted automatically. Allow time for the file to be processed
1363and/or check the file has been processed before announcing its
1364location.
1365
1366FTP Archives for Perl Modules:
1367
1368Follow the instructions and links on:
1369
1370   http://www.cpan.org/modules/00modlist.long.html
1371   http://www.cpan.org/modules/04pause.html
1372
1373or upload to one of these sites:
1374
1375   https://pause.kbx.de/pause/
1376   http://pause.perl.org/
1377
1378and notify <modules@perl.org>.
1379
1380By using the WWW interface you can ask the Upload Server to mirror
1381your modules from your ftp or WWW site into your own directory on
1382CPAN!
1383
1384Please remember to send me an updated entry for the Module list!
1385
1386=item  *
1387
1388Take care when changing a released module.
1389
1390Always strive to remain compatible with previous released versions.
1391Otherwise try to add a mechanism to revert to the
1392old behavior if people rely on it.  Document incompatible changes.
1393
1394=back
1395
1396=back
1397
1398=head2 Guidelines for Converting Perl 4 Library Scripts into Modules
1399
1400=over 4
1401
1402=item  *
1403
1404There is no requirement to convert anything.
1405
1406If it ain't broke, don't fix it! Perl 4 library scripts should
1407continue to work with no problems. You may need to make some minor
1408changes (like escaping non-array @'s in double quoted strings) but
1409there is no need to convert a .pl file into a Module for just that.
1410
1411=item  *
1412
1413Consider the implications.
1414
1415All Perl applications that make use of the script will need to
1416be changed (slightly) if the script is converted into a module.  Is
1417it worth it unless you plan to make other changes at the same time?
1418
1419=item  *
1420
1421Make the most of the opportunity.
1422
1423If you are going to convert the script to a module you can use the
1424opportunity to redesign the interface.  The guidelines for module
1425creation above include many of the issues you should consider.
1426
1427=item  *
1428
1429The pl2pm utility will get you started.
1430
1431This utility will read *.pl files (given as parameters) and write
1432corresponding *.pm files. The pl2pm utilities does the following:
1433
1434=over 10
1435
1436=item *
1437
1438Adds the standard Module prologue lines
1439
1440=item *
1441
1442Converts package specifiers from ' to ::
1443
1444=item *
1445
1446Converts die(...) to croak(...)
1447
1448=item *
1449
1450Several other minor changes
1451
1452=back
1453
1454Being a mechanical process pl2pm is not bullet proof. The converted
1455code will need careful checking, especially any package statements.
1456Don't delete the original .pl file till the new .pm one works!
1457
1458=back
1459
1460=head2 Guidelines for Reusing Application Code
1461
1462=over 4
1463
1464=item  *
1465
1466Complete applications rarely belong in the Perl Module Library.
1467
1468=item  *
1469
1470Many applications contain some Perl code that could be reused.
1471
1472Help save the world! Share your code in a form that makes it easy
1473to reuse.
1474
1475=item  *
1476
1477Break-out the reusable code into one or more separate module files.
1478
1479=item  *
1480
1481Take the opportunity to reconsider and redesign the interfaces.
1482
1483=item  *
1484
1485In some cases the 'application' can then be reduced to a small
1486
1487fragment of code built on top of the reusable modules. In these cases
1488the application could invoked as:
1489
1490     % perl -e 'use Module::Name; method(@ARGV)' ...
1491or
1492     % perl -mModule::Name ...    (in perl5.002 or higher)
1493
1494=back
1495
1496=head1 NOTE
1497
1498Perl does not enforce private and public parts of its modules as you may
1499have been used to in other languages like C++, Ada, or Modula-17.  Perl
1500doesn't have an infatuation with enforced privacy.  It would prefer
1501that you stayed out of its living room because you weren't invited, not
1502because it has a shotgun.
1503
1504The module and its user have a contract, part of which is common law,
1505and part of which is "written".  Part of the common law contract is
1506that a module doesn't pollute any namespace it wasn't asked to.  The
1507written contract for the module (A.K.A. documentation) may make other
1508provisions.  But then you know when you C<use RedefineTheWorld> that
1509you're redefining the world and willing to take the consequences.
1510
1511=cut
1512
1513close MANIFEST or warn "$0: failed to close MANIFEST (../MANIFEST): $!";
1514close OUT      or warn "$0: failed to close OUT (perlmodlib.pod): $!";
1515
1516