CPANPLUS::Hacking(3)

NAME
CPANPLUS::Hacking

DESCRIPTION
This document attempts to describe how to easiest develop with the CPANPLUS environment, how certain things work and why.

This is basically a quick-start guide to people who want to add features or patches to CPANPLUS.

OBTAINING CPANPLUS
CPANPLUS offers snapshots from the stable and unstable branches. After every patch to either of the branches, the snapshot is automatically updated.

You can find the stable branch here (which should be equal to the CPAN release): <http://p4.elixus.org/snap/cpanplus-dist.tar.gz>

And the development branch here: <http://p4.elixus.org/snap/cpanplus-devel.tar.gz>

INSTALLING CPANPLUS
CPANPLUS follows the standard perl module installation process:

    perl Makefile.PL
    make
    make test
    make install

CONFIGURING CPANPLUS
When running "perl Makefile.PL" you will be prompted to configure. If you have already done so, and merely wish to update the "Makefile", simply run:

    perl Makefile.PL JFDI=1

This will keep your configuration intact. Note however, if there are changes to the default configuration file "Config.pm-orig", you should either delete your current config file and reconfigure, or patch your config file from the new entries in "Config.pm-orig".

RUNNING CPANPLUS FROM DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT
If you'd rather not install the development version to your "site_perl" directory, that's no problem. You can set your "PERL5LIB" environment variable to CPANPLUS' "lib" directory, and you can run it from there.

RUNNING CPANPLUS TESTS
Tests are what tells us if CPANPLUS is working. If a test is not working, try to run it explicilty like this:

    perl -I/path/to/cpanplus/lib t/XX_name_of_test.t 1

The extra '1' makes sure that all the messages and errors (they might be errors we're testing for!) are being printed rather than kept quiet. This is a great way to find out the context of any failures that may occur.

If you believe this test failure proves a bug in CPANPLUS, the long output of the test file is something we'd like to see alongside your bug report.

FINDING BUGS
Sometimes you might find bugs in CPANPLUS' behaviour. If you encounter these in a development snapshot, we'd appreciate a complete patch (as described below in the "SENDING PATCHES" section.

If it's way over your head, then of course reporting the bug is always better than not reporting it at all. Before you do so though, make sure you have the latest development snapshot, and the bug still persists there. If so, report the bug to this address:

    cpanplus-devel@lists.sourceforge.net

A good "patch" would have the following characteristics:

Problem description
    Describe clearly what the bug is you found, and what it should have done instead.

Program demonstrating the bug
    Show us how to reproduce the bug, in a simple of a program as possible

[OPTIONAL] A patch to the test suite to test for the bug
    Amend our test suite by making sure this bug will be found in this, and future versions of CPANPLUS (see "SUPPLYING PATCHES")

[OPTIONAL] A patch to the code + tests + documentation
    Fix the bug, update the docs & tests. That way your bug will be gone forever :)

SUPPLYING PATCHES
Patches are a good thing, and they are welcome. Especially if they fix bugs you've found along the way, or that others have reported.

We prefer patches in the following format:

•   In "diff -u" or "diff -c" format

•   From the root of the snapshot

•   Including patches for code + tests + docs

•   Sent per mail to cpanplus-devel@lists.sourceforge.net

•   With subject containing "[PATCH]" + description of the patch

You will always be informed if a patch is applied or rejected, and in case of rejection why that is (perhaps you can tweak the patch to have it accepted after all).