How to get pod2usage to pipe into a pager?

HuckinFappy has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

I've managed to wrangle my co-workers into using Pod::Usage finally. Now we're starting to get complaints from some users that our help messages dump *too* much information, and they would like it to automatically pipe into a pager.

I know if you run `perldoc $SCRIPT` it will use $PAGER (or $PERLDOC_PAGER, etc...see the perldoc perldoc :) But how to make pod2usage pipe into a pager?

Many thanks, as always,
~Jeff

Comment on How to get pod2usage to pipe into a pager?

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Re: How to get pod2usage to pipe into a pager? by friedo (Prior) on Aug 02, 2006 at 19:28 UTC
See the `-output` option in the Pod::Usage docs: `-output A reference to a filehandle, or the pathname of a file to which the usage message should be written. The default is \STDERR unless the exit value is less than 2 (in which case the default is \STDOUT).` [download] Sending the data to STDOUT will allow it to go to the pager. Alternatively, you can redirect STDERR in your shell. E.g. in bash: `your_program.pl 2>&1 \| less` [download]	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re: How to get pod2usage to pipe into a pager? by Fletch (Bishop) on Aug 02, 2006 at 19:29 UTC
Looking at the documentation, there's an `-output` option that takes a filehandle to which to write. Try opening a pipe to `$ENV{PAGER} \|\| "more"` and passing that filehandle to `pod2usage`.	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re: How to get pod2usage to pipe into a pager? by HuckinFappy (Pilgrim) on Aug 03, 2006 at 04:32 UTC
Thank you both. I had RTFM, but somehow missed that completely...does anyone have a cloth I can use to wipe this egg off my face? :)	[reply]


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