adding new files to distribution

decebel has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

Hello Monks, I have been writing scripts and packages without any structure/framework. Recently, I learned about h2xs and now I use this whenever I can to add modules and test cases. This is all fine for plain vanila modules. My question is, in my current project I have multiple config files (*.cfg). I added them to the manifest file. So my manifest file looks like this:

Changes
Makefile.PL
MANIFEST
README
t/EM.t
lib/EM.pm
cfg/log.conf
cfg/AppConfig.conf
cfg/EMConfig.conf
cfg/UserConfig.conf
[download]

Now, when I do nmake install, I was expecting these configs to be copied to the install path. However, this does not happen. Is there something I am missing here?

Also, the test cases I have, would require the configs. Do I have to manually copy the .conf files to the \t directory for testing purpose? I was thinking, it would be cool to have nmake test should somehow automatically refer/copy the configs correctly.

Gracias, Dece

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Re: adding new files to distribution by ikegami (Patriarch) on Sep 30, 2009 at 04:35 UTC
I was expecting these configs to be copied to the install path Which install path? binaries? library? Somewhere else? Do I have to manually copy the .conf files to the \t directory for testing purpose? No. They will be placed under blib by make (when you have your Makefile done right). Then you can just refer to them using a relative path.	[reply]
Re: adding new files to distribution by Anonymous Monk on Sep 30, 2009 at 04:50 UTC
You should look at File::ShareDir. And Module::New, Test::XT, Module::Install::Share.	[reply]
Re: adding new files to distribution by Anonymous Monk on Sep 30, 2009 at 04:52 UTC
A MANIFEST is just a list of all the files in the distribution (tarball), it doesn't control what gets installed.	[reply]
Re^2: adding new files to distribution by decebel (Acolyte) on Sep 30, 2009 at 11:54 UTC
Ah .. So how do I specify the new configs I want to be installed. Should that be part of the make file?	[reply]
Re: adding new files to distribution by Bloodnok (Vicar) on Sep 30, 2009 at 11:30 UTC
Having edited your MANIFEST, try re-generating the makefile, by running the command: `perl Makefile.PL`. If the directory structure is tidied up to remove all files except (thus containing only) those required in the distribution, assuming the Makefile has already been generated, in order to re-build the MANIFEST and get the extra files included in the distribution, I've found that the following is a little more reliable: `rm MANIFEST make manifest perl Makefile.PL` [download] A user level that continues to overstate my experience :-))	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^2: adding new files to distribution by decebel (Acolyte) on Sep 30, 2009 at 11:58 UTC
Should we specify all configs/modules we require as part of the Makefile? I am guessing this will automatically generate the right MANIFEST.	[reply]
Re^3: adding new files to distribution by Bloodnok (Vicar) on Sep 30, 2009 at 12:12 UTC
No, there's no need to specify _any_ files since they [the files] specify themselves by existing in the structure when the makefile &/or MANIFEST is/are re-generated. In hindsight, one of the quickest ways to re-generate the MANIFEST and the makefile is `make realclean rm MANIFEST perl Makefile.PL make` [download] A user level that continues to overstate my experience :-))	[reply] [d/l]