If you examine the build structure of CPAN modules, you will find make under the hood. Makefile.PL is an ExtUtils::MakeMaker script which makes a Makefile from which make makes the module. (That last sentence took on a life of its own.)

The rule-based structure of make, and its filetime pruning, are just what's needed in a build engine. Nothing prevents perl from duplicating that, but why bother? All the things perl does well are available to the Makefile writer through the shell. Scripts can be executed by path, and oneliners through 'perl -e'.

The h2xs tool will set up a Makefile.PL for you. MakeMaker support is provided, and you will wind up with a distribution tree very like the ones on CPAN.

After Compline,
Zaxo

In reply to Re: make vs. Perl vs. sh vs. Ant by Zaxo
in thread make vs. Perl vs. sh vs. Ant by gregor42

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