It may just be my own personal prejudice, but I perfer not to ever require a .pl file. Whenever I move code out of the main script, I put it in a module (.pm) and use it.

Another standard practice I have found helpfull is to always start a module with a package declaration, and simply export anything that may be needed in the client code. I have actually run into problems with modules that do not have a package declaration. See the blow example:

#File Foo.pm
sub make_foo
{
   # do stuff
}

#File Bar.pm
package Bar;
use Foo;

sub make_bar
{
   &make_foo(); # It is defined here.
   # do stuff
}

#File myScript.pl
#!/usr/local/bin/perl -w
use strict;
use Bar;
use Foo;

&make_foo(); # Undefined subroutine!
[download]

Becuase Bar.pm was included before Foo.pm, Foo.pm was compiled into the Bar:: namespace and now &main::make_foo(); is an undefined subroutine. Not good.

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