Module dependencies

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

I am developing some XML munging Perl right now that has required me to install CPAN module after CPAN module. I will find that I need to use a particular library and then when I go to install that lib, I will find that I first need to install some other libraries and so on and so on.

Now this doesn't bother me much, but the problem is that after I develop the code I have to hand it over to another group of people (who aren't terribly familiar with things Perlish) and let them install all the modules and my code on a different box. Now since I am a moron and I haven't been keeping a meticulous list of what was installed and in what order, this is going to be a problem.

And now we get to the question: Is there an automated means of determining which modules are dependant upon others? If so, is there a way of producing a list that shows a heirarchical order in which modules must be installed?

For example: I found out that I needed to use XML::LibXML. In order to install this, you must first go to xmlsoft.org and download and install libxml2. You must also install XML::SAX. But before you can install XML::SAX, you must first install File::Temp and XML::NamespaceSupport. After you do this, you can install XML::SAX. After all that, you can install XML::LibXML.

What I would like is an automated means of producing a list as follows:

XML::LibXML
--libxml2
--XML::SAX
----File::Temp
----XML::NamespaceSupport
[download]

Forgive me if this is totally naive. I like chicken.

Comment on Module dependencies Download Code

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Re: Module dependencies by cjf (Parson) on Apr 03, 2002 at 15:13 UTC
The CPAN Module has a follow option that will install prerequisites. Also check out CPANPLUS.	[reply]
Re: Module dependencies by Fletch (Bishop) on Apr 03, 2002 at 15:55 UTC
You can make a `Bundle' distribution that will tell CPAN.pm to install a set of modules. Check `perldoc CPAN` for the section named Bundles, logically enough. As for finding dependencies, take a look at Re: Determining module dependencies and the containing thread Determining module dependencies.	[reply] [d/l]
Re: Re: Module dependencies by rjray (Chaplain) on Apr 04, 2002 at 01:31 UTC
The thread you cited refers to my Devel::Modlist package, but the example they use overlooks an option called "`cpandist`": `perl -d:Modlist=cpandist,nocore,stop upj_post.pl` (The `upj_post.pl` is one of my sample scripts that demonstrates the SOAP interface to the use Perl; journal system.) This produces the output: `G/GA/GAAS/Digest-MD5-2.16.tar.gz G/GA/GAAS/libwww-perl-5.64.tar.gz K/KU/KULCHENKO/SOAP-Lite-0.51.tar.gz` If the `cpan` option is used instead of `cpandist`, it simply refers to the first module of a given package, since "`install Module`" from within the CPAN shell is sufficient: `perl -d:Modlist -MDevel::Modlist="cpan,noversion,nocore,stop" upj_post.pl Digest::MD5 HTTP::Cookies SOAP::Lite` An important note: all of these examples used the "`stop`" option, which stops prior to the execution of the program, and prints results then. If any of the libraries listed were to include others, you would see them here unless they were included at compile-time. For example, if the nature of the run included encoding MIME data using base-64, LWP probably doesn't load MIME::Base64 until it is explicitly needed. `--rjray`	[reply]
Getting off topic . . . by Fletch (Bishop) on Apr 04, 2002 at 16:21 UTC
(The upj_post.pl is one of my sample scripts that demonstrates the SOAP interface to the use Perl; journal system.) OOooh, where can one obtain said `upj_post.pl`?	[reply] [d/l]
Re: Getting off topic . . . by rjray (Chaplain) on Apr 04, 2002 at 22:38 UTC
Re: Module dependencies by trs80 (Priest) on Apr 03, 2002 at 18:23 UTC
There is a new module on CPAN called CPAN-DistroBuilder that might be worth taking a look at. It was just released within the last few weeks.	[reply]
Re: Module dependencies by jeffenstein (Hermit) on Apr 04, 2002 at 07:51 UTC
For external dependencies, you are on your own. However, `perldoc perllocal` will tell you what additional modules you have installed, and in what order.	[reply] [d/l]