[Chicago-talk] Testing a module installation

[Steven Lembark]

> I've built a module, its on CPAN, Finance::InteractiveBrokers::TWS.
> 
> I want to test that it installs properly from cpan and pulls down any
> required modules and works.
> 
> I want to simulate a fresh install on a new host.  How does one go
> about this?  I have though maybe using a VM with a fresh OS install,
> but that seems like overkill, and I'm sure its unnecessary.
> 
> What's the proper why to simulate a bare bones Perl installation?

Hack 'use' to only find things that you know are
in the core disto. Your F::IB::TWS::MinimalInstall
module would supply a copy of use that dies on or
ignores any use requests for non-core modules:

    use Symbol  qw( qualify_to_ref );

    my %core_modz   = ();

    @core_modz{ qw( modules you want to exist ) } = ();

    sub use
    {
        my $module  = shift;
        my $caller  = caller;

        exists $core_modz{ $_[0] }
        or
        {
            warn "Unavailable module: $_[0];

            return
        };

        eval "require $module";

        if( my $sub = $module->can( import ) )
        {
            local $"    = ",";

            # push any side effects into the caller's space.

            eval "package $caller; $sub->( $module, @_ )";
        }

        1
    }

You can get a list from "perldoc perlmodlib". Check the
Perl Test Notebook for a complete example of overriding
language behavior (they hack the system call).

You are probably better off just including what you
need in the Makefile.PL.

-- 
Steven Lembark                                            85-09 90th St.
Workhorse Computing                                 Woodhaven, NY, 11421
lembark at wrkhors.com                                      +1 888 359 3508