My answer is "it depends". Are the subroutines tightly coupled to your main module or are they more general utility functions that might be useful elsewhere? If the subroutines are valuable/reuseable in their own right, then it might make sense to release them either in a more logical namespace, or even in a separate distribution.

For example, consider Mail::Box. This comes in the distribution "Mail-Box", but the distribution contains modules Mail::Box and Mail::Message (and a host of others). Just because they're part of the same distribution doesn't mean they need to be in a hierarchical namespace if another namespace would make more sense.

As another example, in the course of writing a simulation module, I found myself needing a consistent random number user interface. Rather than creating them as "My::Sim::Random::Uniform", etc., I factored out the random number code into a standalone module, Math::Random::OO, and released it separately. My simulation code (not yet released), will just list that module as a prerequisite. That keeps both modules distinct and reusable by others in a more granular way than if they were one monolithic distribution

So, if your helper is just breaking up your code into more manageable chunks for you, then make it a module in a subdirectory of your distribution. If your module is tightly coupled to your code, but its purpose would be clearer with a separate name, then keep it in your distribution with a more directory structure. If your module implements distinct functionality on its own that your module needs, but that others might find themselves needing, too, then release it as a separate module and just include it as a prerequisite in your main module.

-xdg

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In reply to Re: Separate files for CPAN dist by xdg
in thread Separate files for CPAN dist by jacques

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