Re: [Module::Build] You underestimate the problem

[Chris D. <ch...@cl...>]

On Apr 25, 2006, at 8:33 AM, demerphq wrote:

> On 4/25/06, Adam Kennedy <ad...@ph...> wrote:
> I have to say I pretty strongly agree with Adam here. A mini-language
> is a bad solution to this problem in comparison to simply generating
> the META.yml on the installation host.

How about a 95% solution as a goal?  Plan META.yml variants so that  
95% of all CPAN modules can be completely described by it.  If that  
requires a mini-language that supports the various $^O strings and  
$^V versions, then so be it.  The other complicated 5% that Adam is  
worried about can use the flag that indicates a dynamic config.  That  
way, META.yml can be declared definitive by the author for most of  
CPAN.  The minority can then declare that you need to run Makefile.PL/ 
Build.PL to get the definitive metadata.  That way, tools that are  
not allowed to execute code can still be useful on the majority of CPAN.

I posit that the mini-language outlined by David Golden on 2006-04-24  
is adequate for the 95% solution (or maybe even the 99% solution?)

The problem with Yves' suggestion to generate META.yml on the  
installation host, as I've said before, is that it renders META.yml  
pointless.  The goal of META.yml is to create a non-executable source  
of accurate metadata about a package.  If you have to download the  
package and run Build.PL to generate META.yml, then why bother using  
META.yml?  In that case just use Build.PL itself.

The problem with generating a naive META.yml on the author's computer  
is that you often can't tell which are optional dependencies and  
which are required and which platforms are excluded (like the whole  
Win32:: tree).

I believe that an author-generated META.yml with limited conditional  
support and a "non-definitive" flag to support the rest will satisfy  
the needs of the vast majority of uses for META.yml.

Chris
-- 
Chris Dolan, Software Developer, Clotho Advanced Media Inc.
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