NAME

Devel::Required - automatic update of required modules documentation

VERSION

This documentation describes version 0.16.

SYNOPSIS

        eval "use Devel::Required";
        use ExtUtils::MakeMaker; # check README and lib/Your/Module.pm
        WriteMakefile (
                NAME         => "Your::Module",
                VERSION_FROM => "lib/Your/Module.pm",
                PREREQ_PM    => { 'Foo' => '1.0', 'Bar::Baz' => '0.05' }
        );

...

        eval <<"CODE";
                use Devel::Required
                text => 'INSTALL',
                pod  => [ qw( lib/Your/Module.pod ) ];
        CODE
        use ExtUtils::MakeMaker; # specify which files should be checked
        WriteMakefile (
                NAME         => "Your::Module",
                VERSION_FROM => "lib/Your/Module.pm",
                PREREQ_PM    => { 'Foo' => '1.0', 'Bar::Baz' => '0.05' }
        );

...

        eval "use Devel::Required maint_blead => 5.014";
        use ExtUtils::MakeMaker; # specify maint / blead installation information

DESCRIPTION

The Devel::Required module only serves a purpose in the development environment of an author of a CPAN module (or more precisely: a user of the ExtUtils::MakeMaker module). It makes sure that any changes to the required modules specified in the Makefile.PL are automatically reflected in the appropriate text file and in the appropriate source files (either explicitely or implicitely specified).

It takes the information given with the PREREQ_PM parameter and by default writes this to the README file, as well as to the POD of the file specified with the VERSION_FROM parameter. Both these defaults can be overridden with the "text" and "pod" parameters in the "use Devel::Required" specification.

Optionally, it will also update installation information, specifically for distributions that have a "maint" and "blead" version internally.

This module should only be installed on the system of the developer.

Note that as 0.17 the module should be used in an eval BEFORE loading +ExtUtils::MakeMaker, not afterwards as in previous versions. This version +should work on any version of perl.

FILES CHANGED

By default the following types of files will be changed:

text file

A text file should at least have one of these marker texts:

 Version:                     <- must start at beginning of line
                              <- empty line
                              <- another empty line
 Required Modules:            <- must start at beginning of line
                              <- empty line
                              <- another empty line

Optionally it may have an "Installation:" marker:

 Installation:                <- must start at beginning of line
                              <- empty line
                              <- another empty line
                              <- yet another empty line

After Makefile.PL is executed (using the example of the SYNOPSIS), the above will be changed to:

 Version:                                    <- must start at beginning of line
  This documentation describes version #.##. <- added 
                                             <- empty line
 Required Modules:              <- must start at beginning of line
  Foo (1.0)                     <- added
  Bar::Baz (0.05)               <- added
                                <- empty line
 Installation:                  <- must start at beginning of line
 (extensive installation info)  <- added
                                <- empty line
                                <- another empty line

No changes will be made if none of the marker texts are not found.

If no "text" file specification is specified, then the file "README" in the current directory will be assumed.

pod file

The pod file(s) that are (implicitely) specified, will be searched for any marker texts that consist of the lines:

 =head1 VERSION               <- must start at beginning of line
                              <- empty line
 =(anything)                  <- any other pod directive
 =head1 REQUIRED MODULES      <- must start at beginning of line
                              <- empty line
 =(anything)                  <- any other pod directive

Optionally it may have an "INSTALLATION" marker:

 =head1 INSTALLATION          <- must start at beginning of line
                              <- empty line
 =(anything)                  <- any other pod directive

After Makefile.PL is executed (using the example of the SYNOPSIS, the above will be changed to:

 =head1 VERSION                              <- must start at beginning of line
                                             <- empty line
 This documentation describes version #.##.  <- added
                                             <- added
 =(anything)                                 <- any other pod directive
 =head1 REQUIRED MODULES                     <- must start at beginning of line
                                             <- empty line
  Foo (1.0)                                  <- added
  Bar::Baz (0.05)                            <- added
                                             <- added
 =(anything)                                 <- any other pod directive
 =head1 INSTALLATION                         <- must start at beginning of line
                                             <- empty line
 (extensive installation info)               <- added
                                             <- added
 =(anything)                                 <- any other pod directive

No changes will be made if none of the marker texts are not found.

If no "pod" file specification is specified, then the file specified with the "VERSION_FROM" parameter of the call to "WriteMakefile" will be assumed.

SPECIFYING YOUR OWN FILES

It is possible to specify which text and which pod files should be searched for the text markers and possibly updated. The "import" routine of Devel::Required takes a list of parameters, each pair of which is considered to be a key-value pair. The following keys are recognized:

text: The value of this parameter is either the name of the text file to check, or a reference to a list with the names of one or more text files.
pod: The value of this parameter is either the name of a file containing pod to check, or a reference to a list withe the names of one or more files containing pod.

ADDING MAINT / blead INSTALLATION INFORMATION

 use Devel::Required maint_blead => $version;

By specifying a version number with the <maint_blead> key, the text / pod files will be searched for an "Installation" marker. The value should be the Perl version below which the "maint" version of the code should be installed.

The actual installation text is more or less fixed, but may be adapted in the future to provide more clarity for developers and packagers.

REQUIRED MODULES

 ExtUtils::MakeMaker

THEORY OF OPERATION

Loading this module steals the "WriteMakefile" subroutine of the calling package and inserts its own logic for updating the necessary text-files. The version information is read from the generated "Makefile".

AUTHOR

Elizabeth Mattijsen, <liz@dijkmat.nl>.

maintained by LNATION, <email@lnation.org>.

Please report bugs to <email@lnation.org>.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Castaway on Perl Monks for "complaining" about not mentioning prerequisite modules in the README or in the POD.

Dan Browning for suggestion being able to specify which text and pod files should be changed.

COPYRIGHT

Copyright (c) 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Elizabeth Mattijsen <liz@dijkmat.nl>. All rights reserved. This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.