update: such a feature already exists (sort of). Thanks to rozallin below for pointing this out. Linking to the CPAN search page should be sufficient, maybe not as spiffy as linking directly to a module, but it's sufficient.
(old question/comment:) I think it might be cool if we had a "cpan" tag to autolink to CPAN modules without having to find the URL. It would navigating through search.cpan.org to link up a module.

<cpan>File::Find</cpan>

Would become: File::Find

Potential hiccup: Would have to maintain a mapping of the CPAN ~users to modules in the PerlMonks DB. This would require periodic scanning of CPAN to parse the list of modules. Not too bad, methinks.

Another potential hiccup: we would have to default to the latest version of Perl POD, which may not always be desired behavior if someone was using, say, Perl 6. A <cpan version=5.6>File::Find</cpan> could use an optional attribute to accomplish this black magic.

Ideas? Comments? Tomatoes?

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: CPAN Tagging
by rozallin (Curate) on Jan 23, 2004 at 17:22 UTC
    PerlMonks.org already has a number of ways of linking to other sources of information, including CPAN - see the node What shortcuts can I use for linking to other information? for details on how to use them. I don't quite understand why you are proposing this new feature. What advantage would this give over the existing shortcuts?
    --
    rozallin j. thompson
    The Webmistress who doesn't hesitate to use strict;
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      Thanks, the article about linking was not known to me. Thanks for pointing it out.
      Module searches at cpan.org: XML::Parser
      For the "since someone else will be doing the work" comment below, I say "Ni!" to them. RFE's are, in my book, always given in spirit of ideas and advancement for the community. Given priveledge that I do not have, I would have been willing to implement the feature. Fortunately, it's already there, and that's great!
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        "Oh, what sad times are these when passing ruffians can say 'ni' at will to old ladies. There is a pestilence upon this land. Nothing is sacred. Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress at this period in history."
          -- Rober the Shrubber in Scene 18 of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"

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Re: CPAN Tagging
by eyepopslikeamosquito (Archbishop) on Jan 24, 2004 at 02:23 UTC
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Re: CPAN Tagging
by xenchu (Friar) on Jan 23, 2004 at 17:38 UTC

    This sounds like a decent idea. Especially given that someone else will be doing the work:).

    hiccup#1: ~users? I may not be familiar enough with CPAN structure to understand. Do you mean CPAN modules? How much memory would such a mapping require?

    hiccup#2: I don't see the need. If the tag is a link to CPAN wouldn't the result show the File::Find list of modules, allowing the monk to select his/her choice. Or am I missing the obvious?

    xenchu

    The Needs of the World and my Talents run parallel to infinity.
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[d/l]

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