Re^4: Module::Build article on perl.com, MakeMaker is doomed

[Aristotle]

Archive::Tar 0.23 doesn't have this problem.

Makeshifts last the longest.

[tachyon]

Yep, Archive::Tar 0.23 installs fine on Win32. Module::Build on the other hand does not:

C:\Thesaurus-0.21>perl Makefile.PL
This module required Module::Build to install itself.
  Install Module::Build [y]
CPAN: Storable loaded ok
Going to read \cpan\Metadata
  Database was generated on Mon, 10 Feb 2003 20:36:47 GMT
CPAN is up to date.
Running install for module Module::Build
Running make for K/KW/KWILLIAMS/Module-Build-0.15.tar.gz
CPAN: Digest::MD5 loaded ok
CPAN: Compress::Zlib loaded ok
Checksum for \cpan\sources\authors\id\K\KW\KWILLIAMS\Module-Build-0.15
+.tar.gz ok

Scanning cache \cpan\build\. for sizes
CPAN: Archive::Tar loaded ok
Module-Build-0.15/
Module-Build-0.15/Build.PL
Module-Build-0.15/Changes
Module-Build-0.15/INSTALL
Module-Build-0.15/lib/
Module-Build-0.15/lib/Module/
Module-Build-0.15/lib/Module/Build/
Module-Build-0.15/lib/Module/Build/Base.pm
Module-Build-0.15/lib/Module/Build/Compat.pm
Module-Build-0.15/lib/Module/Build/Platform/
Module-Build-0.15/lib/Module/Build/Platform/Amiga.pm
Module-Build-0.15/lib/Module/Build/Platform/darwin.pm
Module-Build-0.15/lib/Module/Build/Platform/Default.pm
Module-Build-0.15/lib/Module/Build/Platform/EBCDIC.pm
Module-Build-0.15/lib/Module/Build/Platform/MacOS.pm
Module-Build-0.15/lib/Module/Build/Platform/MPEiX.pm
Module-Build-0.15/lib/Module/Build/Platform/RiscOS.pm
Module-Build-0.15/lib/Module/Build/Platform/Unix.pm
Module-Build-0.15/lib/Module/Build/Platform/VMS.pm
Module-Build-0.15/lib/Module/Build/Platform/VOS.pm
Module-Build-0.15/lib/Module/Build/Platform/Windows.pm
Module-Build-0.15/lib/Module/Build.pm
Module-Build-0.15/Makefile.PL
Module-Build-0.15/MANIFEST
Module-Build-0.15/META.yml
Module-Build-0.15/README
Module-Build-0.15/t/
Module-Build-0.15/t/basic.t
Module-Build-0.15/t/common.pl
Module-Build-0.15/t/lib/
Module-Build-0.15/t/lib/ModuleBuildOne.pm
Module-Build-0.15/t/MANIFEST
Module-Build-0.15/t/runthrough.t
Module-Build-0.15/t/Sample/
Module-Build-0.15/t/Sample/Build.PL
Module-Build-0.15/t/Sample/lib/
Module-Build-0.15/t/Sample/lib/Sample.pm
Module-Build-0.15/t/Sample/MANIFEST
Module-Build-0.15/t/Sample/META.yml
Module-Build-0.15/t/Sample/test.pl
Module-Build-0.15/t/xs.t
Module-Build-0.15/t/XSTest/
Module-Build-0.15/t/XSTest/Build.PL
Module-Build-0.15/t/XSTest/Changes
Module-Build-0.15/t/XSTest/lib/
Module-Build-0.15/t/XSTest/lib/XSTest.pm
Module-Build-0.15/t/XSTest/lib/XSTest.xs
Module-Build-0.15/t/XSTest/MANIFEST
Module-Build-0.15/t/XSTest/test.pl
Removing previously used \cpan\build\Module-Build-0.15

  CPAN.pm: Going to build K/KW/KWILLIAMS/Module-Build-0.15.tar.gz

C:\Perl\bin\Perl.exe Build.PL
Checking whether your kit is complete...
Looks good
Creating new 'Build' script for 'Module-Build' version '0.15'
Warning: PREREQ_PM mentions ExtUtils::Install more than once, last men
+tion wins
at C:/Perl/lib/CPAN.pm line 4642, <GEN4> line 1.

Microsoft (R) Program Maintenance Utility   Version 1.50
Copyright (c) Microsoft Corp 1988-94. All rights reserved.

        ./Build
'.' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.
NMAKE : fatal error U1077: 'C:\WINNT\system32\cmd.exe' : return code '
+0x1'
Stop.
  C:\WINNT\nmake.EXE  -- NOT OK
Running make test
  Can't test without successful make
Running make install
  make had returned bad status, install seems impossible

C:\Thesaurus-0.21>This module required Module::Build to install itself
+.
  Install Module::Build [y] y
'y' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

C:\Thesaurus-0.21>

cheers

tachyon

s&&rsenoyhcatreve&&&s&n.+t&"$'$`$\"$\&"&ee&&y&srve&&d&&print

[tachyon]

I have spent a couple of hours patching the source of Module::Build and can now get it to install (almost) properly with nmake. Patches submitted to the author. This module has a way to go yet and stillhas some very significant issues particularly the failure to recognise an incremented version number and thus the requirement for an update.....

cheers

tachyon

s&&rsenoyhcatreve&&&s&n.+t&"$'$`$\"$\&"&ee&&y&srve&&d&&print

[autarch]

This module has a way to go yet and still has some very significant issues particularly the failure to recognise an incremented version number and thus the requirement for an update.....

Absolutely. There's lots of work to be done, and your patches will help, I'm sure. Just because Module::Build isn't perfect doesn't mean it won't succeed. Of course it needs lots of people looking at it on many different platforms. Hopefully my article will help convince more people to take a look at it, which will result in more bug reports and a better tool in the end.

[tachyon]

If I get the time I will have a better look at it with a view towards fixing it up some more. A h2xs like tool would be a very good idea. As far as I can see it is not writing a .packlist so I don't see how it is going to keep track of installations. Unisntall functionality seems lacking and the failure to reinstall with incremented version numbers is a critical flaw. The concept is sound it is just the implementation that needs some work.

cheers

tachyon

s&&rsenoyhcatreve&&&s&n.+t&"$'$`$\"$\&"&ee&&y&srve&&d&&print