[sf-perl] Help with a downloaded module

nheller at silcon.com nheller at silcon.com
Mon Feb 25 11:34:09 PST 2008


Thanks for the help so far.
I re-downloaded through CPAN.
I then extracted all the contents into the correct directories.
I noticed that there are two files, Make.pl and Build.pl, in the target
directory.  Can you tell me what these are and what they're for?

I feel like I'm a whole lot closer but have a way to go.

BTW, thanks for the links to Cozens' book.  I'll read the the chapter on
modules next; hopefully that will answer more of my questions.

Neil Heller


> Neil,
>
> If you load a module using the CPAN module, it will put it in the
> location for shared modules that perl already knows about. Thus, once
> you've installed it, you shouldn't need to change your path or
> anything. Just 'use' the module by its full name:
>
> use Module::Build::TestReporter;
>
> and it should "just work".
>
> (I've never worked with Active State Perl before, but I assume it's
> like every other distribution that way. Someone will correct me if I'm
> wrong, I am sure. :-) )
>
> BTW, did you know that _Beginning Perl_, by Simon Cozens, is available
> free on the web? From your questions, you may find it very helpful to
> read a couple of chapters of it. For example, the chapter on Modules
> covers installing from CPAN and how to "find" a module once you've
> installed it.
>
> http://www.perl.org/books/beginning-perl/
> http://blob.perl.org/books/beginning-perl/3145_Chap10.pdf
>
> There's also a great website that gathers up a bunch of resources and
> people who love to help people new to perl. You will find friendly
> folks and lots of FAQ and answers at
>
> http://learn.perl.org/
> http://www.nntp.perl.org/group/perl.beginners/
>
> and I think there's an IRC channel for learning perl too, but I
> haven't used that before.
>
> Good luck!
> -- Mike
>
>
> On Feb 24, 2008, at 6:40 PM, Neil Heller wrote:
>
>> This is looking promising... I think.
>> I'll modify the uses Module::Build::TestReporter to make it reflect
>> my path
>> and then build.
>> Can you think of anything else off the top of your head?
>> Will I have to create a Perl/cpan/Metadata path?
>>
>> Neil Heller
>> 510-862-4387
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: sanfrancisco-pm-bounces+nheller=silcon.com at pm.org
>> [mailto:sanfrancisco-pm-bounces+nheller=silcon.com at pm.org] On Behalf
>> Of
>> Michael Friedman
>> Sent: Sunday, February 24, 2008 2:43 PM
>> To: San Francisco Perl Mongers User Group
>> Subject: Re: [sf-perl] Help with a downloaded module
>>
>> Neil,
>>
>> CPAN modules don't really stand on their own. They come in packages.
>> If you follow CPAN's suggestion and do
>>
>> cpan> i/TestReporter/
>> Distribution    C/CH/CHROMATIC/Module-Build-TestReporter-1.00.tar.gz
>> Module          Module::Build::TestReporter (C/CH/CHROMATIC/Module-
>> Build-TestReporter-1.00.tar.gz)
>> 2 items found
>>
>>
>> That tells you that it's part of "C/CH/CHROMATIC/Module-Build-
>> TestReporter-1.00", as "Module::Build::TestReporter". You need that
>> full "path" so that CPAN can find the module.
>>
>> Knowing that, you can ask CPAN to install it by doing
>>
>> cpan> install Module::Build::TestReporter
>>
>> which should work better. Note that there are a number of
>> prerequisites for this module, so it may start off by loading a pile
>> of seemingly unrelated stuff, but it'll get to TestReporter at the
>> end.
>>
>> -- Mike
>>
>> On Feb 24, 2008, at 2:06 PM, Neil Heller wrote:
>>
>>> Thank you for the help.
>>> I tried installing the file as you mentioned but got only errors.
>>> The transcript follows.  Do you have any feeling for what my trouble
>>> may be?
>>>
>>> [start install]
>>>
>>>
>>> C:\test\TestReporter>perl -MCPAN -e shell
>>> Exiting subroutine via last at C:/Perl/lib/CPAN.pm line 1450.
>>>
>>> cpan shell -- CPAN exploration and modules installation (v1.9205)
>>> ReadLine support enabled
>>>
>>>
>>> cpan> install TestReporter.pm
>>> CPAN: Storable loaded ok (v2.18)
>>> Use of uninitialized value $_ in transliteration (tr///) at
>>> C:/Perl/lib/File/Spe
>>> c/Win32.pm line 141.
>>> Use of uninitialized value $_ in pattern match (m//) at
>>> C:/Perl/lib/File/Spec/Wi
>>> n32.pm line 143.
>>> CPAN: LWP::UserAgent loaded ok (v2.036)
>>> CPAN: Time::HiRes loaded ok (v1.9711)
>>> Fetching with LWP:
>>> http://ppm.activestate.com/CPAN/authors/01mailrc.txt.gz
>>> Going to read C:\Perl\cpan\sources\authors\01mailrc.txt.gz
>>>
>> ............................................................................
>>> DONE
>>>
>>> Use of uninitialized value $_ in transliteration (tr///) at
>>> C:/Perl/lib/File/Spe
>>> c/Win32.pm line 141.
>>> Use of uninitialized value $_ in pattern match (m//) at
>>> C:/Perl/lib/File/Spec/Wi
>>> n32.pm line 143.
>>> Fetching with LWP:
>>> http://ppm.activestate.com/CPAN/modules/02packages.details.txt.gz
>>> Going to read C:\Perl\cpan\sources\modules\02packages.details.txt.gz
>>> Database was generated on Sun, 24 Feb 2008 11:30:42 GMT
>>>
>> ............................................................................
>>> DONE
>>>
>>> Use of uninitialized value $_ in transliteration (tr///) at
>>> C:/Perl/lib/File/Spe
>>> c/Win32.pm line 141.
>>> Use of uninitialized value $_ in pattern match (m//) at
>>> C:/Perl/lib/File/Spec/Wi
>>> n32.pm line 143.
>>> Fetching with LWP:
>>> http://ppm.activestate.com/CPAN/modules/03modlist.data.gz
>>> Going to read C:\Perl\cpan\sources\modules\03modlist.data.gz
>>>
>> ............................................................................
>>> DONE
>>>
>>> Going to write C:\Perl\cpan\Metadata
>>> Warning: Cannot install TestReporter.pm, don't know what it is.
>>> Try the command
>>>
>>>   i /TestReporter.pm/
>>>
>>> to find objects with matching identifiers.
>>>
>>>
>>> cpan>
>>>
>>> [end install]
>>>
>>> Neil Heller
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: sanfrancisco-pm-bounces+nheller=silcon.com at pm.org
>>> [mailto:sanfrancisco-pm-bounces+nheller=silcon.com at pm.org] On Behalf
>>> Of
>>> Asheesh Laroia
>>> Sent: Sunday, February 24, 2008 12:10 PM
>>> To: San Francisco Perl Mongers User Group
>>> Subject: Re: [sf-perl] Help with a downloaded module
>>>
>>> On Sun, 24 Feb 2008, Neil Heller wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>> I'm a relative newbie at Perl.
>>>> I downloaded a module, TestReporter.pm, from CPAN.
>>>> On my Wintel machine I created a directory, c:\test\TestReporter.
>>>> I plopped the module (without change) into that directory and
>>>> issued a
>>>> couple of command line calls.
>>>
>>> That's not the right way to install CPAN modules.
>>>
>>> Do you know about the CPAN shell?  Try this:
>>>
>>> perl -MCPAN -e shell
>>>
>>> That will give you a prompt at which you can ask it:
>>>
>>> install __name__of_module_you_want__
>>>
>>> -- Asheesh.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Do clones have navels?
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>
>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>> Michael Friedman                     HighWire Press
>> Phone: 650-725-1974                  Stanford University
>> FAX:   270-721-8034                  <friedman at highwire.stanford.edu>
>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>
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>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> Michael Friedman                     HighWire Press
> Phone: 650-725-1974                  Stanford University
> FAX:   270-721-8034                  <friedman at highwire.stanford.edu>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
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