PERLMODSTYLE(1) Perl Programmers Reference Guide PERLMODSTYLE(1)
NAME
perlmodstyle - Perl module style guide
INTRODUCTION
This document attempts to describe the Perl Community's "best practice" for writing Perl modules. It
extends the recommendations found in perlstyle , which should be considered required reading before
reading this document.
While this document is intended to be useful to all module authors, it is particularly aimed at
authors who wish to publish their modules on CPAN.
The focus is on elements of style which are visible to the users of a module, rather than those parts
which are only seen by the module's developers. However, many of the guidelines presented in this
document can be extrapolated and applied successfully to a module's internals.
This document differs from perlnewmod in that it is a style guide rather than a tutorial on creating
CPAN modules. It provides a checklist against which modules can be compared to determine whether
they conform to best practice, without necessarily describing in detail how to achieve this.
All the advice contained in this document has been gleaned from extensive conversations with experi-enced experienced
enced CPAN authors and users. Every piece of advice given here is the result of previous mistakes.
This information is here to help you avoid the same mistakes and the extra work that would inevitably
be required to fix them.
The first section of this document provides an itemized checklist; subsequent sections provide a more
detailed discussion of the items on the list. The final section, "Common Pitfalls", describes some
of the most popular mistakes made by CPAN authors.
QUICK CHECKLIST
For more detail on each item in this checklist, see below.
Before you start
Don't re-invent the wheel
Patch, extend or subclass an existing module where possible
Do one thing and do it well
Choose an appropriate name
The API
API should be understandable by the average programmer
Simple methods for simple tasks
Separate functionality from output
Consistent naming of subroutines or methods
Use named parameters (a hash or hashref) when there are more than two parameters
Stability
Ensure your module works under "use strict" and "-w"
Stable modules should maintain backwards compatibility
Documentation
Write documentation in POD
Document purpose, scope and target applications
Document each publically accessible method or subroutine, including params and return values
Give examples of use in your documentation
Provide a README file and perhaps also release notes, changelog, etc
Provide links to further information (URL, email)
Release considerations
Specify pre-requisites in Makefile.PL or Build.PL
Specify Perl version requirements with "use"
Include tests with your module
Choose a sensible and consistent version numbering scheme (X.YY is the common Perl module number-ing numbering
ing scheme)
Increment the version number for every change, no matter how small
Package the module using "make dist"
Choose an appropriate license (GPL/Artistic is a good default)
BEFORE YOU START WRITING A MODULE
Try not to launch headlong into developing your module without spending some time thinking first. A
little forethought may save you a vast amount of effort later on.
Has it been done before?
You may not even need to write the module. Check whether it's already been done in Perl, and avoid
re-inventing the wheel unless you have a good reason.
Good places to look for pre-existing modules include http://search.cpan.org/ and asking on mod-
ules@perl.org
If an existing module almost does what you want, consider writing a patch, writing a subclass, or
otherwise extending the existing module rather than rewriting it.
Do one thing and do it well
At the risk of stating the obvious, modules are intended to be modular. A Perl developer should be
able to use modules to put together the building blocks of their application. However, it's impor-
tant that the blocks are the right shape, and that the developer shouldn't have to use a big block
when all they need is a small one.
Your module should have a clearly defined scope which is no longer than a single sentence. Can your
module be broken down into a family of related modules?
Bad example:
"FooBar.pm provides an implementation of the FOO protocol and the related BAR standard."
Good example:
"Foo.pm provides an implementation of the FOO protocol. Bar.pm implements the related BAR protocol."
This means that if a developer only needs a module for the BAR standard, they should not be forced to
install libraries for FOO as well.
What's in a name?
Make sure you choose an appropriate name for your module early on. This will help people find and
remember your module, and make programming with your module more intuitive.
When naming your module, consider the following:
Be descriptive (i.e. accurately describes the purpose of the module).
Be consistent with existing modules.
Reflect the functionality of the module, not the implementation.
Avoid starting a new top-level hierarchy, especially if a suitable hierarchy already exists under
which you could place your module.
You should contact modules@perl.org to ask them about your module name before publishing your module.
You should also try to ask people who are already familiar with the module's application domain and
the CPAN naming system. Authors of similar modules, or modules with similar names, may be a good
place to start.
DESIGNING AND WRITING YOUR MODULE
Considerations for module design and coding:
To OO or not to OO?
Your module may be object oriented (OO) or not, or it may have both kinds of interfaces available.
There are pros and cons of each technique, which should be considered when you design your API.
According to Damian Conway, you should consider using OO:
When the system is large or likely to become so
When the data is aggregated in obvious structures that will become objects
When the types of data form a natural hierarchy that can make use of inheritance
When operations on data vary according to data type (making polymorphic invocation of methods
feasible)
When it is likely that new data types may be later introduced into the system, and will need to
be handled by existing code
When interactions between data are best represented by overloaded operators
When the implementation of system components is likely to change over time (and hence should be
encapsulated)
When the system design is itself object-oriented
When large amounts of client code will use the software (and should be insulated from changes in
its implementation)
When many separate operations will need to be applied to the same set of data
Think carefully about whether OO is appropriate for your module. Gratuitous object orientation
results in complex APIs which are difficult for the average module user to understand or use.
Designing your API
Your interfaces should be understandable by an average Perl programmer. The following guidelines may
help you judge whether your API is sufficiently straightforward:
Write simple routines to do simple things.
It's better to have numerous simple routines than a few monolithic ones. If your routine changes
its behaviour significantly based on its arguments, it's a sign that you should have two (or
more) separate routines.
Separate functionality from output.
Return your results in the most generic form possible and allow the user to choose how to use
them. The most generic form possible is usually a Perl data structure which can then be used to
generate a text report, HTML, XML, a database query, or whatever else your users require.
If your routine iterates through some kind of list (such as a list of files, or records in a
database) you may consider providing a callback so that users can manipulate each element of the
list in turn. File::Find provides an example of this with its "find(\&wanted, $dir)" syntax.
Provide sensible shortcuts and defaults.
Don't require every module user to jump through the same hoops to achieve a simple result. You
can always include optional parameters or routines for more complex or non-standard behaviour.
If most of your users have to type a few almost identical lines of code when they start using
your module, it's a sign that you should have made that behaviour a default. Another good indi-
cator that you should use defaults is if most of your users call your routines with the same
arguments.
Naming conventions
Your naming should be consistent. For instance, it's better to have:
display_day();
display_week();
display_year();
than
display_day();
week_display();
show_year();
This applies equally to method names, parameter names, and anything else which is visible to the
user (and most things that aren't!)
Parameter passing
Use named parameters. It's easier to use a hash like this:
$obj->do_something(
name => "wibble",
type => "text",
size => 1024,
);
... than to have a long list of unnamed parameters like this:
$obj->do_something("wibble", "text", 1024);
While the list of arguments might work fine for one, two or even three arguments, any more argu-
ments become hard for the module user to remember, and hard for the module author to manage. If
you want to add a new parameter you will have to add it to the end of the list for backward com-
patibility, and this will probably make your list order unintuitive. Also, if many elements may
be undefined you may see the following unattractive method calls:
$obj->do_something(undef, undef, undef, undef, undef, undef, 1024);
Provide sensible defaults for parameters which have them. Don't make your users specify parame-
ters which will almost always be the same.
The issue of whether to pass the arguments in a hash or a hashref is largely a matter of personal
style.
The use of hash keys starting with a hyphen ("-name") or entirely in upper case ("NAME") is a
relic of older versions of Perl in which ordinary lower case strings were not handled correctly
by the "=>" operator. While some modules retain uppercase or hyphenated argument keys for his-
torical reasons or as a matter of personal style, most new modules should use simple lower case
keys. Whatever you choose, be consistent!
Strictness and warnings
Your module should run successfully under the strict pragma and should run without generating any
warnings. Your module should also handle taint-checking where appropriate, though this can cause
difficulties in many cases.
Backwards compatibility
Modules which are "stable" should not break backwards compatibility without at least a long transi-
tion phase and a major change in version number.
Error handling and messages
When your module encounters an error it should do one or more of:
Return an undefined value.
set $Module::errstr or similar ("errstr" is a common name used by DBI and other popular modules;
if you choose something else, be sure to document it clearly).
"warn()" or "carp()" a message to STDERR.
"croak()" only when your module absolutely cannot figure out what to do. ("croak()" is a better
version of "die()" for use within modules, which reports its errors from the perspective of the
caller. See Carp for details of "croak()", "carp()" and other useful routines.)
As an alternative to the above, you may prefer to throw exceptions using the Error module.
Configurable error handling can be very useful to your users. Consider offering a choice of levels
for warning and debug messages, an option to send messages to a separate file, a way to specify an
error-handling routine, or other such features. Be sure to default all these options to the common-
est use.
DOCUMENTING YOUR MODULE
POD
Your module should include documentation aimed at Perl developers. You should use Perl's "plain old
documentation" (POD) for your general technical documentation, though you may wish to write addi-
tional documentation (white papers, tutorials, etc) in some other format. You need to cover the fol-
lowing subjects:
A synopsis of the common uses of the module
The purpose, scope and target applications of your module
Use of each publically accessible method or subroutine, including parameters and return values
Examples of use
Sources of further information
A contact email address for the author/maintainer
The level of detail in Perl module documentation generally goes from less detailed to more detailed.
Your SYNOPSIS section should contain a minimal example of use (perhaps as little as one line of code;
skip the unusual use cases or anything not needed by most users); the DESCRIPTION should describe
your module in broad terms, generally in just a few paragraphs; more detail of the module's routines
or methods, lengthy code examples, or other in-depth material should be given in subsequent sections.
Ideally, someone who's slightly familiar with your module should be able to refresh their memory
without hitting "page down". As your reader continues through the document, they should receive a
progressively greater amount of knowledge.
The recommended order of sections in Perl module documentation is:
NAME
SYNOPSIS
DESCRIPTION
One or more sections or subsections giving greater detail of available methods and routines and
any other relevant information.
BUGS/CAVEATS/etc
AUTHOR
SEE ALSO
COPYRIGHT and LICENSE
Keep your documentation near the code it documents ("inline" documentation). Include POD for a given
method right above that method's subroutine. This makes it easier to keep the documentation up to
date, and avoids having to document each piece of code twice (once in POD and once in comments).
README, INSTALL, release notes, changelogs
Your module should also include a README file describing the module and giving pointers to further
information (website, author email).
An INSTALL file should be included, and should contain simple installation instructions. When using
ExtUtils::MakeMaker this will usually be:
perl Makefile.PL
make
make test
make install
When using Module::Build, this will usually be:
perl Build.PL
perl Build
perl Build test
perl Build install
Release notes or changelogs should be produced for each release of your software describing user-vis-
ible changes to your module, in terms relevant to the user.
RELEASE CONSIDERATIONS
Version numbering
Version numbers should indicate at least major and minor releases, and possibly sub-minor releases.
A major release is one in which most of the functionality has changed, or in which major new func-
tionality is added. A minor release is one in which a small amount of functionality has been added
or changed. Sub-minor version numbers are usually used for changes which do not affect functional-
ity, such as documentation patches.
The most common CPAN version numbering scheme looks like this:
1.00, 1.10, 1.11, 1.20, 1.30, 1.31, 1.32
A correct CPAN version number is a floating point number with at least 2 digits after the decimal.
You can test whether it conforms to CPAN by using
perl -MExtUtils::MakeMaker -le 'print MM->parse_version(shift)' 'Foo.pm'
If you want to release a 'beta' or 'alpha' version of a module but don't want CPAN.pm to list it as
most recent use an '_' after the regular version number followed by at least 2 digits, eg. 1.20_01.
If you do this, the following idiom is recommended:
$VERSION = "1.12_01";
$XS_VERSION = $VERSION; # only needed if you have XS code
$VERSION = eval $VERSION;
With that trick MakeMaker will only read the first line and thus read the underscore, while the perl
interpreter will evaluate the $VERSION and convert the string into a number. Later operations that
treat $VERSION as a number will then be able to do so without provoking a warning about $VERSION not
being a number.
Never release anything (even a one-word documentation patch) without incrementing the number. Even a
one-word documentation patch should result in a change in version at the sub-minor level.
Pre-requisites
Module authors should carefully consider whether to rely on other modules, and which modules to rely
on.
Most importantly, choose modules which are as stable as possible. In order of preference:
Core Perl modules
Stable CPAN modules
Unstable CPAN modules
Modules not available from CPAN
Specify version requirements for other Perl modules in the pre-requisites in your Makefile.PL or
Build.PL.
Be sure to specify Perl version requirements both in Makefile.PL or Build.PL and with "require 5.6.1"
or similar. See the section on "use VERSION" of "require" in perlfunc for details.
Testing
All modules should be tested before distribution (using "make disttest"), and the tests should also
be available to people installing the modules (using "make test"). For Module::Build you would use
the "make test" equivalent "perl Build test".
The importance of these tests is proportional to the alleged stability of a module -- a module which
purports to be stable or which hopes to achieve wide use should adhere to as strict a testing regime
as possible.
Useful modules to help you write tests (with minimum impact on your development process or your time)
include Test::Simple, Carp::Assert and Test::Inline. For more sophisticated test suites there are
Test::More and Test::MockObject.
Packaging
Modules should be packaged using one of the standard packaging tools. Currently you have the choice
between ExtUtils::MakeMaker and the more platform independent Module::Build, allowing modules to be
installed in a consistent manner. When using ExtUtils::MakeMaker, you can use "make dist" to create
your package. Tools exist to help you to build your module in a MakeMaker-friendly style. These
include ExtUtils::ModuleMaker and h2xs. See also perlnewmod.
Licensing
Make sure that your module has a license, and that the full text of it is included in the distribu-
tion (unless it's a common one and the terms of the license don't require you to include it).
If you don't know what license to use, dual licensing under the GPL and Artistic licenses (the same
as Perl itself) is a good idea. See perlgpl and perlartistic.
COMMON PITFALLS
Reinventing the wheel
There are certain application spaces which are already very, very well served by CPAN. One example
is templating systems, another is date and time modules, and there are many more. While it is a rite
of passage to write your own version of these things, please consider carefully whether the Perl
world really needs you to publish it.
Trying to do too much
Your module will be part of a developer's toolkit. It will not, in itself, form the entire toolkit.
It's tempting to add extra features until your code is a monolithic system rather than a set of modu-
lar building blocks.
Inappropriate documentation
Don't fall into the trap of writing for the wrong audience. Your primary audience is a reasonably
experienced developer with at least a moderate understanding of your module's application domain,
who's just downloaded your module and wants to start using it as quickly as possible.
Tutorials, end-user documentation, research papers, FAQs etc are not appropriate in a module's main
documentation. If you really want to write these, include them as sub-documents such as "My::Mod-
ule::Tutorial" or "My::Module::FAQ" and provide a link in the SEE ALSO section of the main documenta-
tion.
SEE ALSO
perlstyle
General Perl style guide
perlnewmod
How to create a new module
perlpod
POD documentation
podchecker
Verifies your POD's correctness
Packaging Tools
ExtUtils::MakeMaker, Module::Build
Testing tools
Test::Simple, Test::Inline, Carp::Assert, Test::More, Test::MockObject
http://pause.perl.org/
Perl Authors Upload Server. Contains links to information for module authors.
Any good book on software engineering
AUTHOR
Kirrily "Skud" Robert <skud@cpan.org>
perl v5.8.8 2006-01-07 PERLMODSTYLE(1)
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