[Module::Build] Re: [perl #39098] Pod::Html error stops CPAN install/test of Pod::Readme

[Randy W. S. <ml...@th...>]

[ X-List-Archive: <http://nntp.perl.org/group/perl.perl5.porters/112653> ]

Rafael Garcia-Suarez wrote:
> On 07/05/06, via RT Eric R. Meyers <per...@pe...> wrote:
> 
>> Perl Pod::Html error stops CPAN make Pod::Readme
>>
>> Abstract:
>> ./Build: blib/lib/Pod/Readme.pm: unexpected =item directive in 
>> paragraph 38.
>> ignoring.
>> Use of uninitialized value in string ne at 
>> /usr/lib/perl5/5.8.8/Pod/Html.pm
>> line 1281.
>> Unmatched begin/end at chunk 40
>>   ./Build  -- NOT OK
> 
> 
> I'd say the problem is with Module::Build, which should probably
> proceed if pod2html can't build HTML docs. Anyway this is a M::B bug,
> not a Pod::Html one. The original POD document is actually malformed.

I guess I'm not one for failing silently. What should be the correct 
behavior here?

1) Silently fail. Install everything but html docs.
2) Silently fail. Install everything including all the html docs except 
the one that fails.
3) Fail completely.

The problem with failing silently or even emitting a warning is that it 
will disappear amoung other output when installing from CPAN.pm or 
similar, giving no clue to the user that installation is "incomplete".

Maybe we should die with a message saying how to run the build to skip 
the generation of html docs, so the user can try again without the docs?

I think we should also test for these types of failures for the author 
during 'disttest' or at some other point where the author can correct 
the problem before the user sees it. Any preference as to where to put 
such tests?

Randy.