"CPAN has almost no useful documentation and no way to find answers other than their very limited FAQ"

You mean apart from the CPAN documentation?

That’s why we’re here, standing around the digital water-cooler.

My experience (and length of same) is similar to yours.   (My feelings about mainframe software ... ;-) ... might be a wee bit different ...)

And, let’s face it ... “it’s what you know, and what you don’t know yet.”   The learning-curve, of any computer-related undertaking, is both difficult to ascend, and strangely easy to forget.   This will be a snap for you, of course, but ...

Alice, Revisited:

“Begin at the beginning, then go all the way to the end, then stop.”
“(Wise ass...)   But where is the beginning?   This manual was produced: (a) by IBM, (b) on a line-printer, (c) thirty-five years ago ...”

(Sorry ... ;-) :-D ;-) ... I couldn’t resist ...)

Been there, done that, still got one around here someplace.   System/360 Principles of Operation, I think ...