Perl::Dist::WiX::Asset::Distribution - "Perl Distribution" asset for a Win32 Perl

This document describes Perl::Dist::WiX::Asset::Distribution version 1.500002.

  my $distribution = Perl::Dist::WiX::Asset::Distribution->new(
      parent   => $dist,
      name     => 'MSERGEANT/DBD-SQLite-1.14.tar.gz',
	  mod_name => 'DBD::SQLite',
      force    => 1,
  );

Perl::Dist::WiX supports two methods for adding Perl modules to the installation. The main method is to install it via the CPAN shell.

The second is to download, make, test and install the Perl distribution package independently, avoiding the use of the CPAN client. Unlike the CPAN installation method, installing the distribution directly does not allow the installation of dependencies, or the ability to discover and install the most recent release of the module.

This secondary method is primarily used to deal with cases where the CPAN shell either fails or does not yet exist. Installation of the Perl toolchain to get a working CPAN client is done exclusively using the direct method, as well as the installation of a few special case modules such as ones where the newest release is broken, but an older or a development release is known to be good.

Perl::Dist::WiX::Asset::Distribution is a data class that provides encapsulation and error checking for a "Perl Distribution" to be installed in a Perl::Dist::WiX-created installer using this secondary method.

It is normally created on the fly by the Perl::Dist::WiX install_distribution method (and other things that call it).

This class is a Perl::Dist::WiX::Role::Asset and shares its API.

The new constructor takes a series of parameters, validates then and returns a new Perl::Dist::WiX::Asset::Distribution object.

It inherits all the parameters described in the Perl::Dist::WiX::Role::Asset->new method documentation, and adds the additional parameters described below.

The required name param is the CPAN path to the distribution such as shown in the synopsis.

The url to fetch from will be derived from the name.

The required mod_name param is the name of the main module being installed. This is used to create the fragment name.

The optional boolean force param allows you to specify that the tests should be skipped and the distribution installed without validating it.

It defaults to the force() attribute of the parent.

Many modules contain additional long-running tests, tests that require additional dependencies, or have differing behaviour when installing in a non-user automated environment.

The optional automated_testing param lets you specify that the module should be installed with the AUTOMATED_TESTING environment variable set to true, to make the distribution behave properly in an automated environment (in cases where it doesn't otherwise).

Defaults to false.

Some modules contain release-time only tests, that require even heavier additional dependencies compared to even the automated_testing tests.

The optional release_testing param lets you specify that the module tests should be run with the additional RELEASE_TESTING environment flag set.

By default, release_testing is set to false to squelch any accidental execution of release tests when Perl::Dist::WiX itself is being tested under RELEASE_TESTING.

Some distributions illegally require you to pass additional non-standard parameters when you invoke "perl Makefile.PL".

The optional makefilepl_param param should be a reference to an ARRAY where each element contains the argument to pass to the Makefile.PL.

Some distributions require you to pass additional non-standard parameters when you invoke "perl Build.PL".

The optional buildpl_param param should be a reference to an ARRAY where each element contains the argument to pass to the Build.PL.

The optional packlist param lets you specify whether this distribution creates a packlist (which is a quick way to verify which files are installed by the distribution).

This parameter defaults to true.

Some distributions (ExtUtils::MakeMaker, for example) install files that are overwritten by distributions installed after it.

The optional overwritable param lets you spedify that this is the case, and defaults to false.

This method returns the name of the module being installed, in order to use it in filenames.

The install method installs the distribution described by the Perl::Dist::WiX::Asset::Distribution object and returns a list of files that were installed as a File::List::Object object.

Bugs should be reported via the CPAN bug tracker at

http://rt.cpan.org/NoAuth/ReportBug.html?Queue=Perl-Dist-WiX

For other issues, contact the author.

Curtis Jewell <csjewell@cpan.org>

Adam Kennedy <adamk@cpan.org>

Perl::Dist::WiX, Perl::Dist::WiX::Role::Asset

Copyright 2009 - 2011 Curtis Jewell.

Copyright 2007 - 2009 Adam Kennedy.

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.

The full text of the license can be found in the LICENSE file included with this module.