mention a non-installed module in script

[pashanoid]

Hello! I've searched and could not find this:

How do I go about "mentioning" a module in my program that does not exist on my system. This particular module WILL NOT install on a Linux system, but will on a Win32 system. However, in the logic of the program this module will not be used unless we're on windows.... example:

my $os = $^O;
my $text_os = $c->createText($x0+570,$y0+10,-text=>"ОС: $o
+s", -font=>'bar_rus', -fill=>'#afb3b0',-anchor=>'s',-tags => ['os']);
eval {
    if ($os =~ /Win/ig){
        use Win32::SerialPort; #we're on Windows
    } else {
        use Device::SerialPort; #we're on Linux
    }
}

See, If I run this I get an error like:

[pasha@pelikan tk]$ perl dial.pl
Can't locate Win32/SerialPort.pm in @INC (@INC contains: /usr/local/li
+b/perl5 /usr/local/share/perl5 /usr/lib/perl5 /usr/share/perl5 /usr/l
+ib/perl5 /usr/share/perl5 /usr/local/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.10.0/i386-
+linux-thread-multi /usr/local/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.10.0/i386-linux-t
+hread-multi /usr/local/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.10.0 /usr/lib/perl5/vend
+or_perl/5.10.0/i386-linux-thread-multi /usr/lib/perl5/vendor_perl /us
+r/lib/perl5/site_perl .) at dial.pl line 33.
BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at dial.pl line 33.

But there is no way that I can install the Win32::SerialPort on my Linux box. Nore do I want to :)

Is there a way to have the module mentioned in my program and avoid the interpreter error?

Live long and proseper!

[ikegami]

BEGIN {
    if ($os =~ /Win/i){
        eval "use Win32::SerialPort; 1" or die $@;
    } else {
        eval "use Device::SerialPort; 1" or die $@;
    }
}

Note: I removed the buggy /g. if (/.../g) not only makes no sense, it can be harmful.

[pashanoid]

Thank you, worked like a charm!

[ambrus]

Either useif; or require instead of use.

[Anonymous Monk]

site:perlmonks.org Win32::SerialPort Device::SerialPort $^O

Platform-independent Serial Port code

Accessing Serial port on windows and Linux

use Perl::OSType qw' is_os_type ';
use if is_os_type('Windows'), qw' Win32::SerialPort ';
use if not is_os_type('Windows'), qw' Device::SerialPort ';

[7stud]

eval BLOCK catches *run time* exceptions, but a use statement executes at *compile time*, and using a non existent module causes your program to terminate before it can enter runtime. A BEGIN block executes before the rest of the file even compiles.