use Version::Easy;

$VERSION = 'v1.2.3';     # v-str

# or...
$VERSION = '1.002003';   # float 
$VERSION = 'v1.2.3_4';   # v-str + alpha
$VERSION = '1.002003_4'; # float + alpha



##</code><code>##

use strict;
use warnings;

# --------------------------------------------------

package Version::Easy;
use Data::Dump qw/pp dd/;
use version;

sub import {
    my $pkg = (caller)[0];

    my $version;
    tie $version, 'Version::Easy::Tie';

    no strict 'refs';
    *{${pkg}."::VERSION"} = \$version;
}

# --------------------------------------------------
package Version::Easy::Tie;

require Tie::Scalar;
our @ISA = qw(Tie::StdScalar);
use version qw/is_lax/;

sub STORE {
    my ($self,$value)= @_;
    warn "IN:\t\t",$value;
    if ( is_lax($value) ) {
        $$self = version->parse($value);

    } else {
        warn "corrupt VERSION format $value";
    }
}

# BUG? perldoc Tie::Scalar says no TIESCALAR needed
sub TIESCALAR {
    my $class = shift;
    my $version;
    return bless \$version, $class;
}


1;

# --------------------------------------------------

# ---  fake already required for 'use' demo

BEGIN {
    $INC{'Version/Easy.pm'} = 1;
}

# --------------------------------------------------
#
#      DEMO
#
#

package TST;

use Version::Easy;

# --------- test v-str
$VERSION = 'v1.2.3';

warn "Str:\t"   ,$VERSION;
warn "Float:\t" ,$VERSION->numify;
warn "V-str:\t" ,$VERSION->normal;

my $v1 = $VERSION;

# --------- test float
$VERSION = '1.002003';

warn "Str:\t"   ,$VERSION;
warn "Float:\t" ,$VERSION->numify;
warn "V-str:\t" ,$VERSION->normal;

my $v2 = $VERSION;

warn "Are both Version equal?:", $v1 == $v2;

warn "v-str bigger?:",  $v1 > 'v1.2.2';
warn "v-str smaller?:", $v1 < 'v1.2.4';
warn "v-str not smaller?:", $v1 < 'v1.2.2';

#
# --------------------------------------------------




##</code><code>##

 -*- mode: compilation; default-directory: "d:/exp/" -*-
Compilation started at Fri Jul 10 19:13:58

C:/Perl_524/bin\perl.exe  d:/exp/Version_Easy.pl 
IN:		v1.2.3 at d:/exp/Version_Easy.pl line 29.
Str:	v1.2.3 at d:/exp/Version_Easy.pl line 69.
Float:	1.002003 at d:/exp/Version_Easy.pl line 70.
V-str:	v1.2.3 at d:/exp/Version_Easy.pl line 71.
IN:		1.002003 at d:/exp/Version_Easy.pl line 29.
Str:	1.002003 at d:/exp/Version_Easy.pl line 78.
Float:	1.002003 at d:/exp/Version_Easy.pl line 79.
V-str:	v1.2.3 at d:/exp/Version_Easy.pl line 80.
Are both Version equal?:1 at d:/exp/Version_Easy.pl line 84.
v-str bigger?:1 at d:/exp/Version_Easy.pl line 86.
v-str smaller?:1 at d:/exp/Version_Easy.pl line 87.
v-str not smaller?: at d:/exp/Version_Easy.pl line 88.

Compilation finished at Fri Jul 10 19:13:58