in reply to Why Module::Build?

Yeah, but isn't the real problem here the need to build non-pure-Perl code in the first place? If we could just write everything in pure Perl, wouldn't this whole issue pretty much just go away? Aren't the makefiles (if you even need them at all) for pure Perl modules so blindingly simple that MakeMaker wouldn't *need* any new features to handle them?

To my way of thinking, all the effort going into things like MakeMaker only serves one purpose: to prolong the viability of writing Perl modules in C long enough for Perl6 to make doing so totally unnecessary (at least, I certainly *hope* Perl6 has that effect).

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Re^2: Why Module::Build?
by perrin (Chancellor) on May 20, 2005 at 14:10 UTC
    Where is all this coming from? Building modules that use C libraries or XS is fundamental to the value and success of Perl. It will never go away, nor should it.

    It also wouldn't make this problem go away, since the problems people usually run into with MakeMaker are related to things like installing a config file or dealing with optional modules well, and the situations Schwern pointed out where PREFIX behaves in unexpected ways.

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      Building modules that use C libraries or XS is fundamental to the value and success of Perl.

      Yes, because Perl5 isn't very capable of doing certain kinds of things without that crutch. I'm not saying that I want hooking up C code to become *impossible* with Perl6; I'm saying I want it to become *unnecessary*.

      It also wouldn't make this problem go away, since the problems people usually run into with MakeMaker are related to things like installing a config file

      I am confident in stating flat-out that there is no portable way to do this, so it's not something that better module building code can solve.

      "In adjectives, with the addition of inflectional endings, a changeable long vowel (Qamets or Tsere) in an open, propretonic syllable will reduce to Vocal Shewa. This type of change occurs when the open, pretonic syllable of the masculine singular adjective becomes propretonic with the addition of inflectional endings."  — Pratico & Van Pelt, BBHG, p68
[reply]
        Yes, because Perl5 isn't very capable of doing certain kinds of things without that crutch.

        No, because there are lots of great C libraries out there and no good reason to rewrite them in Perl. Also for performance reasons. C libraries are not going away, so make peace with them.

[reply]

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