ExtUtils::Manifest

Provides utilities for maintaining and using a MANIFEST file. The MANIFEST file is essentially a packing list, included with a module, so the user who installs the module can be sure that all the files are actually present. The file created by ExtUtils::Manifest is a list of filenames, one per line, with an optional comment on each line.

ExtUtils::Manifest optionally uses a file called MANIFEST.SKIP, which contains regular expressions specifying files that are not to be included in MANIFEST. Manifest also defines two global variables that are used by several of the functions:

  • $ExtUtils::Manifest::MANIFEST
  • The name of the MANIFEST file. Changing the value results in different MANIFEST and different MANIFEST.SKIP files. Default is MANIFEST.
  • $ExtUtils::Manifest::Quiet
  • If true, the functions work silently. Default is .

Provides six functions, which are exportable on request.

filecheck 
filecheck

Finds files below the current directory that are not mentioned in the MANIFEST file. Consults MANIFEST.SKIP for files that shouldn't be included.

fullcheck 
fullcheck

Does both manicheck and filecheck.

manicheck 
manicheck

Checks whether all files in current directory's MANIFEST file really exist.

manicopy 
manicopy (read, target, how)

Copies files to a target directory. Takes the following arguments:

  • read
  • Hash with keys that are the names of the files to be copied. Typically returned by maniread.
  • target
  • Target directory into which files are to be copied.
  • how
  • Can be used to specify a different method of "copying." Values are:
    • cp
    • Copy the files.
    • ln
    • Create hard links.
    • best
    • Link the files, but copy any symbolic link to make a tree with no symbolic links (the default).
manifind 
manifind

Returns a hash reference whose keys are the files found below the current directory. The values are null strings, representing the MANIFEST comments that aren't there.

maniread 
maniread ([file])

Reads the MANIFEST file specified in $file (the default is MANIFEST). Returns a hash reference whose keys are the filenames and whose values are the comments. Discards blank lines and lines starting with #.

mkmanifest 
mkmanifest

Writes the names of all files in and below the current directory to the file in the current directory named in the $ExtUtils::Manifest::MANIFEST variable. Skips files in MANIFEST.SKIP.

skipcheck 
skipcheck

Lists files that were skipped because they were found in MANIFEST.SKIP.