Once upon a time

• MakeMaker
  • Perl -> Makefile -> shell -> Perl
• Module::Build
  • Pure Perl

Module::Build

• 6000 LOC and 342 methods in one class
• BTW, it's lacking a maintainer…

Finding the way out

• configure_requirements
• Build.PL spec (draft)

The experiment

• Module::Build::Tiny
• Simplest thing that's useful and correct
• Currently only 65 lines
• «we stop being fucking idiots and use CPAN»

4 steps

perl Build.PL
./Build
./Build test
./Build install

perl Build.PL

• Write a Build script
• Save its arguments somewhere
• Write a MYMETA.{json,yml} (new)

./Build

• Real meat of any module builder
• Also the least specified

./Build test

• Run tests and summarise the results
• TAP::Parser does this for you and more

./Build install

• Install files in the right locations.
• I extracted ExtUtils::InstallPaths from Module::Build for this.

Authoring?

• Dist::Zilla plugin
• Only 25 lines (no golfing)

Take home message

• Writing a module builder isn't that hard anymore in 2011