in reply to Distribution of Program and/or Module

CPAN needs more ready to use programs. Modules are useful, but they are like Home Depot, that sells you tools and lumber, but leaves it to you to make a table. But most people just want a table.

Now, what you could do it put the reusable functionality in a module, and have the script use the module to its work. Then you upload both to CPAN. Could be in the same tarball.

  • Comment on Re: Distribution of Program and/or Module

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Re: Distribution of Program and/or Module
by b10m (Vicar) on Mar 10, 2005 at 14:57 UTC

    I higly disagree on this, for I believe there should be no ready-to-use scripts on CPAN, but only modules. (CPAN ne hotscripts.com).

    I see CPAN more like an IKEA than a Home Depot. It provides you with all the stuff, but you'll have to put it together yourself.

    Also I think that good POD (with examples) is worth more than ready-to-go scripts that people don't care to check before running.

    --
    b10m

    All code is usually tested, but rarely trusted.
[reply]
      So you'd would use Pod::Perldoc; all the time instead of running perldoc? Didn't think so.

      The P in CPAN stands for Perl, not module.

      MJD says "you can't just make shit up and expect the computer to know what you mean, retardo!"
      I run a Win32 PPM repository for perl 5.6.x and 5.8.x -- I take requests (README).
      ** The third rule of perl club is a statement of fact: pod is sexy.

[reply]
[d/l]
      You know, I was first thinking of IKEA myself as well. But if I buy something from IKEA, say a table, it comes with clear instruction how to assemble that specific table. And I can't use the parts to make something else.

      Now, if I get something from CPAN, it's not "ready to assemble to do a specific task". Instead, it may provide some of the functionality you're seeking, but it can also be used to create something else. Ergo, Home Depot, and not IKEA.

      And I do think CPAN is for more than modules. Luckely, the maintainers of CPAN think so as well, and named it CPAN, not CPMAN. If it would be just for modules, you wouldn't be able to get the perl sources from CPAN.

[reply]

        I've only seen limited modules with really poor documentation. Let's, for example, take a look at HTML::TableExtract (yeah, table example ;)

        The module clearly is made for a specific goal, to extract data from HTML tables. The POD explains step by step how to set it up. Just like IKEA tables (although I appreciate the quality of HTML::TableExtract more than IKEA tables ;).

        IMHO, it'd be quite useless to just put up a ready made script (table) there that will grab info from some website. The POD is like the IKEA manuals, it'll help you set it all up.

        I wouldn't miss a night's sleep if CPAN decided to drop the handful of scripts the currently host. There are other sites for that. I firmly believe the Matt's (insert useful thingy here) script days are over. Ready made scripts hardly ever fit in real situations and thus usually need tweaking anyway. Might as well start from scratch. Sourceforge and the before mentioned Hotscripts are better suited places, in my opinion.

        --
        b10m

        All code is usually tested, but rarely trusted.
[reply]
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