CPANPLUS::Backend(3pm) Perl Programmers Reference Guide CPANPLUS::Backend(3pm)
NAME
CPANPLUS::Backend
SYNOPSIS
my $cb = CPANPLUS::Backend->new;
my $conf = $cb->configure_object;
my $author = $cb->author_tree('KANE');
my $mod = $cb->module_tree('Some::Module');
my $mod = $cb->parse_module( module => 'Some::Module' );
my @objs = $cb->search( type => TYPE,
allow => [...] );
$cb->flush('all');
$cb->reload_indices;
$cb->local_mirror;
DESCRIPTION
This module provides the programmer's interface to the "CPANPLUS"
libraries.
ENVIRONMENT
When "CPANPLUS::Backend" is loaded, which is necessary for just about
every <CPANPLUS> operation, the environment variable
"PERL5_CPANPLUS_IS_RUNNING" is set to the current process id.
Additionally, the environment variable "PERL5_CPANPLUS_IS_VERSION" will
be set to the version of "CPANPLUS::Backend".
This information might be useful somehow to spawned processes.
METHODS
$cb = CPANPLUS::Backend->new( [CONFIGURE_OBJ] )
This method returns a new "CPANPLUS::Backend" object. This also
initialises the config corresponding to this object. You have two
choices in this:
Provide a valid "CPANPLUS::Configure" object
This will be used verbatim.
No arguments
Your default config will be loaded and used.
New will return a "CPANPLUS::Backend" object on success and die on
failure.
$href = $cb->module_tree( [@modules_names_list] )
Returns a reference to the CPANPLUS module tree.
If you give it any arguments, they will be treated as module names and
"module_tree" will try to look up these module names and return the
corresponding module objects instead.
See CPANPLUS::Module for the operations you can perform on a module
object.
$href = $cb->author_tree( [@author_names_list] )
Returns a reference to the CPANPLUS author tree.
If you give it any arguments, they will be treated as author names and
"author_tree" will try to look up these author names and return the
corresponding author objects instead.
See CPANPLUS::Module::Author for the operations you can perform on an
author object.
$conf = $cb->configure_object;
Returns a copy of the "CPANPLUS::Configure" object.
See CPANPLUS::Configure for operations you can perform on a configure
object.
$su = $cb->selfupdate_object;
Returns a copy of the "CPANPLUS::Selfupdate" object.
See the CPANPLUS::Selfupdate manpage for the operations you can perform
on the selfupdate object.
@mods = $cb->search( type => TYPE, allow => AREF, [data => AREF,
verbose => BOOL] )
"search" enables you to search for either module or author objects,
based on their data. The "type" you can specify is any of the accessors
specified in "CPANPLUS::Module::Author" or "CPANPLUS::Module". "search"
will determine by the "type" you specified whether to search by author
object or module object.
You have to specify an array reference of regular expressions or
strings to match against. The rules used for this array ref are the
same as in "Params::Check", so read that manpage for details.
The search is an "or" search, meaning that if "any" of the criteria
match, the search is considered to be successful.
You can specify the result of a previous search as "data" to limit the
new search to these module or author objects, rather than the entire
module or author tree. This is how you do "and" searches.
Returns a list of module or author objects on success and false on
failure.
See CPANPLUS::Module for the operations you can perform on a module
object. See CPANPLUS::Module::Author for the operations you can
perform on an author object.
$backend_rv = $cb->fetch( modules => \@mods )
Fetches a list of modules. @mods can be a list of distribution names,
module names or module objects--basically anything that parse_module
can understand.
See the equivalent method in "CPANPLUS::Module" for details on other
options you can pass.
Since this is a multi-module method call, the return value is
implemented as a "CPANPLUS::Backend::RV" object. Please consult that
module's documentation on how to interpret the return value.
$backend_rv = $cb->extract( modules => \@mods )
Extracts a list of modules. @mods can be a list of distribution names,
module names or module objects--basically anything that parse_module
can understand.
See the equivalent method in "CPANPLUS::Module" for details on other
options you can pass.
Since this is a multi-module method call, the return value is
implemented as a "CPANPLUS::Backend::RV" object. Please consult that
module's documentation on how to interpret the return value.
$backend_rv = $cb->install( modules => \@mods )
Installs a list of modules. @mods can be a list of distribution names,
module names or module objects--basically anything that parse_module
can understand.
See the equivalent method in "CPANPLUS::Module" for details on other
options you can pass.
Since this is a multi-module method call, the return value is
implemented as a "CPANPLUS::Backend::RV" object. Please consult that
module's documentation on how to interpret the return value.
$backend_rv = $cb->readme( modules => \@mods )
Fetches the readme for a list of modules. @mods can be a list of
distribution names, module names or module objects--basically anything
that parse_module can understand.
See the equivalent method in "CPANPLUS::Module" for details on other
options you can pass.
Since this is a multi-module method call, the return value is
implemented as a "CPANPLUS::Backend::RV" object. Please consult that
module's documentation on how to interpret the return value.
$backend_rv = $cb->files( modules => \@mods )
Returns a list of files used by these modules if they are installed.
@mods can be a list of distribution names, module names or module
objects--basically anything that parse_module can understand.
See the equivalent method in "CPANPLUS::Module" for details on other
options you can pass.
Since this is a multi-module method call, the return value is
implemented as a "CPANPLUS::Backend::RV" object. Please consult that
module's documentation on how to interpret the return value.
$backend_rv = $cb->distributions( modules => \@mods )
Returns a list of module objects representing all releases for this
module on success. @mods can be a list of distribution names, module
names or module objects, basically anything that parse_module can
understand.
See the equivalent method in "CPANPLUS::Module" for details on other
options you can pass.
Since this is a multi-module method call, the return value is
implemented as a "CPANPLUS::Backend::RV" object. Please consult that
module's documentation on how to interpret the return value.
$mod_obj = $cb->parse_module( module => $modname|$distname|$modobj|URI
)
"parse_module" tries to find a "CPANPLUS::Module" object that matches
your query. Here's a list of examples you could give to "parse_module";
Text::Bastardize
Text-Bastardize
Text-Bastardize-1.06
AYRNIEU/Text-Bastardize
AYRNIEU/Text-Bastardize-1.06
AYRNIEU/Text-Bastardize-1.06.tar.gz
http://example.com/Text-Bastardize-1.06.tar.gz
file:///tmp/Text-Bastardize-1.06.tar.gz
These items would all come up with a "CPANPLUS::Module" object for
"Text::Bastardize". The ones marked explicitly as being version 1.06
would give back a "CPANPLUS::Module" object of that version. Even if
the version on CPAN is currently higher.
If "parse_module" is unable to actually find the module you are looking
for in its module tree, but you supplied it with an author, module and
version part in a distribution name or URI, it will create a fake
"CPANPLUS::Module" object for you, that you can use just like the real
thing.
See CPANPLUS::Module for the operations you can perform on a module
object.
If even this fancy guessing doesn't enable "parse_module" to create a
fake module object for you to use, it will warn about an error and
return false.
$bool = $cb->reload_indices( [update_source => BOOL, verbose => BOOL]
);
This method reloads the source files.
If "update_source" is set to true, this will fetch new source files
from your CPAN mirror. Otherwise, "reload_indices" will do its usual
cache checking and only update them if they are out of date.
By default, "update_source" will be false.
The verbose setting defaults to what you have specified in your config
file.
Returns true on success and false on failure.
$bool = $cb->flush(CACHE_NAME)
This method allows flushing of caches. There are several things which
can be flushed:
o "methods"
The return status of methods which have been attempted, such as
different ways of fetching files. It is recommended that automatic
flushing be used instead.
o "hosts"
The return status of URIs which have been attempted, such as
different hosts of fetching files. It is recommended that
automatic flushing be used instead.
o "modules"
Information about modules such as prerequisites and whether
installation succeeded, failed, or was not attempted.
o "lib"
This resets PERL5LIB, which is changed to ensure that while
installing modules they are in our @INC.
o "load"
This resets the cache of modules we've attempted to load, but
failed. This enables you to load them again after a failed load,
if they somehow have become available.
o "all"
Flush all of the aforementioned caches.
Returns true on success and false on failure.
@mods = $cb->installed()
Returns a list of module objects of all your installed modules. If an
error occurs, it will return false.
See CPANPLUS::Module for the operations you can perform on a module
object.
$bool = $cb->local_mirror([path => '/dir/to/save/to', index_files =>
BOOL, force => BOOL, verbose => BOOL] )
Creates a local mirror of CPAN, of only the most recent sources in a
location you specify. If you set this location equal to a custom host
in your "CPANPLUS::Config" you can use your local mirror to install
from.
It takes the following arguments:
path
The location where to create the local mirror.
index_files
Enable/disable fetching of index files. You can disable fetching of
the index files if you don't plan to use the local mirror as your
primary site, or if you'd like up-to-date index files be fetched
from elsewhere.
Defaults to true.
force
Forces refetching of packages, even if they are there already.
Defaults to whatever setting you have in your "CPANPLUS::Config".
verbose
Prints more messages about what its doing.
Defaults to whatever setting you have in your "CPANPLUS::Config".
Returns true on success and false on error.
$file = $cb->autobundle([path => OUTPUT_PATH, force => BOOL, verbose =>
BOOL])
Writes out a snapshot of your current installation in "CPAN" bundle
style. This can then be used to install the same modules for a
different or on a different machine.
It will, by default, write to an 'autobundle' directory under your
cpanplus homedirectory, but you can override that by supplying a "path"
argument.
It will return the location of the output file on success and false on
failure.
CUSTOM MODULE SOURCES
Besides the sources as provided by the general "CPAN" mirrors, it's
possible to add your own sources list to your "CPANPLUS" index.
The methodology behind this works much like "Debian's apt-sources".
The methods below show you how to make use of this functionality. Also
note that most of these methods are available through the default shell
plugin command "/cs", making them available as shortcuts through the
shell and via the commandline.
%files = $cb->list_custom_sources
Returns a mapping of registered custom sources and their local indices
as follows:
/full/path/to/local/index => http://remote/source
Note that any file starting with an "#" is being ignored.
$local_index = $cb->add_custom_source( uri => URI, [verbose => BOOL] );
Adds an "URI" to your own sources list and mirrors its index. See the
documentation on "$cb->update_custom_source" on how this is done.
Returns the full path to the local index on success, or false on
failure.
Note that when adding a new "URI", the change to the in-memory tree is
not saved until you rebuild or save the tree to disk again. You can do
this using the "$cb->reload_indices" method.
$local_index = $cb->remove_custom_source( uri => URI, [verbose => BOOL]
);
Removes an "URI" from your own sources list and removes its index.
To find out what "URI"s you have as part of your own sources list, use
the "$cb->list_custom_sources" method.
Returns the full path to the deleted local index file on success, or
false on failure.
$bool = $cb->update_custom_source( [remote => URI] );
Updates the indexes for all your custom sources. It does this by
fetching a file called "packages.txt" in the root of the custom
sources's "URI". If you provide the "remote" argument, it will only
update the index for that specific "URI".
Here's an example of how custom sources would resolve into index files:
file:///path/to/sources => file:///path/to/sources/packages.txt
http://example.com/sources => http://example.com/sources/packages.txt
ftp://example.com/sources => ftp://example.com/sources/packages.txt
The file "packages.txt" simply holds a list of packages that can be
found under the root of the "URI". This file can be automatically
generated for you when the remote source is a "file:// URI". For
"http://", "ftp://", and similar, the administrator of that repository
should run the method "$cb->write_custom_source_index" on the
repository to allow remote users to index it.
For details, see the "$cb->write_custom_source_index" method below.
All packages that are added via this mechanism will be attributed to
the author with "CPANID" "LOCAL". You can use this id to search for all
added packages.
$file = $cb->write_custom_source_index( path => /path/to/package/root,
[to => /path/to/index/file, verbose => BOOL] );
Writes the index for a custom repository root. Most users will not have
to worry about this, but administrators of a repository will need to
make sure their indexes are up to date.
The index will be written to a file called "packages.txt" in your
repository root, which you can specify with the "path" argument. You
can override this location by specifying the "to" argument, but in
normal operation, that should not be required.
Once the index file is written, users can then add the "URI" pointing
to the repository to their custom list of sources and start using it
right away. See the "$cb->add_custom_source" method for user details.
BUG REPORTS
Please report bugs or other issues to <bug-cpanplus@rt.cpan.org<gt>.
AUTHOR
This module by Jos Boumans <kane@cpan.org>.
COPYRIGHT
The CPAN++ interface (of which this module is a part of) is copyright
(c) 2001 - 2007, Jos Boumans <kane@cpan.org>. All rights reserved.
This library is free software; you may redistribute and/or modify it
under the same terms as Perl itself.
SEE ALSO
CPANPLUS::Configure(3), CPANPLUS::Module(3), CPANPLUS::Module::Author(3),
CPANPLUS::Selfupdate(3)
perl v5.10.0 2007-12-18 CPANPLUS::Backend(3pm)
Mac OS X 10.6 - Generated Thu Sep 17 20:11:07 CDT 2009