Provided by: libfile-sharedir-projectdistdir-perl_1.000009-2_all 
NAME
File::ShareDir::ProjectDistDir - Simple set-and-forget using of a '/share' directory in
your projects root
VERSION
version 1.000009
DETERRENT
STOP!. Before using this distribution, some warnings MUST be considered.
The primary use-case for this module is targeted at development projects that are NOT
intended for "CPAN".
As such, using it for "CPAN" is generally a bad idea, and better solutions generally
involve the less fragile "Test::File::ShareDir", constraining any magical behavior
exclusively to where it is needed: Tests.
Why?
• Determining whether or not we are "dev" during "runtime" is a perilous heuristic that
routinely fails with even slightly unusual file system layouts.
• Auto-magical changing of behavior at "runtime" based on the above leads to many
surprising and hard to debug problems.
For these reason, it is dangerous to rely on this distribution while striving to produce
quality code.
If this documentation is not sufficient to dissuade you, I must strongly implore you to
choose the "strict" mechanism, because that substantially reduces the possibilities with
regards to false-positive of potential "dev" directories.
I have in mind to find a better mechanism to deliver the same objective, but no solutions
are forthcoming at this time.
SYNOPSIS
package An::Example::Package;
use File::ShareDir::ProjectDistDir;
# during development, $dir will be $projectroot/share
# but once installed, it will be wherever File::Sharedir thinks it is.
my $dir = dist_dir('An-Example')
Project layout requirements:
$project/
$project/lib/An/Example/Package.pm
$project/share/ # files for package 'An-Example' go here.
You can use a directory name other than 'share' ( Assuming you make sure when you install
that, you specify the different directory there also ) as follows:
use File::ShareDir::ProjectDistDir ':all', defaults => {
projectdir => 'templates',
};
METHODS
import
use File::ShareDir::ProjectDistDir (@args);
This uses "Sub::Exporter" to do the heavy lifting, so most usage of this module can be
maximized by understanding that first.
• ":all"
->import( ':all' , .... )
Import both "dist_dir" and "dist_file"
• "dist_dir"
->import('dist_dir' , .... )
Import the dist_dir method
• "dist_file"
->import('dist_file' , .... )
Import the dist_file method
• "projectdir"
->import( .... , projectdir => 'share' )
Specify what the project directory is as a path relative to the base of your
distributions source, and this directory will be used as a "ShareDir" simulation path
for the exported methods During development.
If not specified, the default value 'share' is used.
• "filename"
->import( .... , filename => 'some/path/to/foo.pm' );
Generally you don't want to set this, as its worked out by caller() to work out the
name of the file its being called from. This file's path is walked up to find the
'lib' element with a sibling of the name of your "projectdir".
• "distname"
->import( .... , distname => 'somedistname' );
Specifying this argument changes the way the functions are emitted at installed
"runtime", so that instead of taking the standard arguments File::ShareDir does, the
specification of the "distname" in those functions is eliminated.
i.e:
# without this flag
use File::ShareDir::ProjectDistDir qw( :all );
my $dir = dist_dir('example');
my $file = dist_file('example', 'path/to/file.pm' );
# with this flag
use File::ShareDir::ProjectDistDir ( qw( :all ), distname => 'example' );
my $dir = dist_dir();
my $file = dist_file('path/to/file.pm' );
• "strict"
->import( ... , strict => 1 );
This parameter specifies that all "dist" "sharedirs" will occur within the
"projectdir" directory using the following layout:
<root>/<projectdir>/dist/<DISTNAME>/
As opposed to
<root>/<projectdir>
This means if Heuristics misfire and accidentally find another distributions "share"
directory, it will not pick up on it unless that "share" directory also has that
layout, and will instead revert to the "installdir" path in @INC
This parameter may become the default option in the future
Specifying this parameter also mandates you MUST declare the "DISTNAME" value in your
file somewhere. Doing otherwise is considered insanity anyway.
• "defaults"
->import( ... , defaults => {
filename => ....,
projectdir => ....,
});
This is mostly an alternative syntax for specifying "filename" and "projectdir", which
is mostly used internally, and their corresponding other values are packed into this
one.
Sub::Exporter tricks of note.
Make your own sharedir util
package Foo::Util;
sub import {
my ($caller_class, $caller_file, $caller_line ) = caller();
if ( grep { /share/ } @_ ) {
require File::ShareDir::ProjectDistDir;
File::ShareDir::ProjectDistDir->import(
filename => $caller_file,
dist_dir => { distname => 'myproject' , -as => 'share' },
dist_dir => { distname => 'otherproject' , -as => 'other_share' , projectdir => 'share2' },
-into => $caller_class,
);
}
}
....
package Foo;
use Foo::Util qw( share );
my $dir = share();
my $other_dir => other_share();
build_dist_dir
use File::ShareDir::ProjectDirDir ( : all );
# this calls
my $coderef = File::ShareDir::ProjectDistDir->build_dist_dir(
'dist_dir' => {},
{ defaults => { filename => 'path/to/yourcallingfile.pm', projectdir => 'share' } }
);
use File::ShareDir::ProjectDirDir ( qw( :all ), distname => 'example-dist' );
# this calls
my $coderef = File::ShareDir::ProjectDistDir->build_dist_dir(
'dist_dir' => {},
{ distname => 'example-dist', defaults => { filename => 'path/to/yourcallingfile.pm', projectdir => 'share' } }
);
use File::ShareDir::ProjectDirDir
dist_dir => { distname => 'example-dist', -as => 'mydistdir' },
dist_dir => { distname => 'other-dist', -as => 'otherdistdir' };
# This calls
my $coderef = File::ShareDir::ProjectDistDir->build_dist_dir(
'dist_dir',
{ distname => 'example-dist' },
{ defaults => { filename => 'path/to/yourcallingfile.pm', projectdir => 'share' } },
);
my $othercoderef = File::ShareDir::ProjectDistDir->build_dist_dir(
'dist_dir',
{ distname => 'other-dist' },
{ defaults => { filename => 'path/to/yourcallingfile.pm', projectdir => 'share' } },
);
# And leverages Sub::Exporter to create 2 subs in your package.
Generates the exported 'dist_dir' method. In development environments, the generated
method will return a path to the development directories 'share' directory. In non-
development environments, this simply returns "File::ShareDir::dist_dir".
As a result of this, specifying the Distribution name is not required during development (
unless in "strict" mode ), however, it will start to matter once it is installed. This is
a potential avenues for bugs if you happen to name it wrong.
In "strict" mode, the distribution name is ALWAYS REQUIRED, either at least at "import" or
"dist_dir()" time.
build_dist_file
use File::ShareDir::ProjectDirDir ( : all );
# this calls
my $coderef = File::ShareDir::ProjectDistDir->build_dist_file(
'dist_file' => {},
{ defaults => { filename => 'path/to/yourcallingfile.pm', projectdir => 'share' } }
);
use File::ShareDir::ProjectDirDir ( qw( :all ), distname => 'example-dist' );
# this calls
my $coderef = File::ShareDir::ProjectDistDir->build_dist_file(
'dist_file' => {},
{ distname => 'example-dist', defaults => { filename => 'path/to/yourcallingfile.pm', projectdir => 'share' } }
);
use File::ShareDir::ProjectDirDir
dist_file => { distname => 'example-dist', -as => 'mydistfile' },
dist_file => { distname => 'other-dist', -as => 'otherdistfile' };
# This calls
my $coderef = File::ShareDir::ProjectDistDir->build_dist_file(
'dist_file',
{ distname => 'example-dist' },
{ defaults => { filename => 'path/to/yourcallingfile.pm', projectdir => 'share' } },
);
my $othercoderef = File::ShareDir::ProjectDistDir->build_dist_file(
'dist_file',
{ distname => 'other-dist' },
{ defaults => { filename => 'path/to/yourcallingfile.pm', projectdir => 'share' } },
);
# And leverages Sub::Exporter to create 2 subs in your package.
Generates the 'dist_file' method.
In development environments, the generated method will return a path to the development
directories 'share' directory. In non-development environments, this simply returns
"File::ShareDir::dist_file".
Caveats as a result of package-name as stated in "build_dist_dir" also apply to this
method.
SIGNIFICANT CHANGES
1.000000
Strict Mode.
Using Strict Mode
use File::ShareDir::ProjectDistDir ':all', strict => 1;
use File::ShareDir::ProjectDistDir 'dist_dir' => { strict => 1 };
Why you should use strict mode
Starting with 1.000000, there is a parameter "strict" that changes how "sharedir"
resolution performs.
Without strict:
lib/...
share/...
With strict
lib/...
share/dist/Dist-Name-Here/...
This technique greatly builds resilience to the long standing problem with "develop" vs
"install" heuristic ambiguity.
Here at least,
dist_dir('Dist-Name')
Will instead fall back to
@INC/auto/share/dist/Dist-Name
When
share/dist/Dist-Name
Does not exist.
This means if you have a layout like this:
<DEVROOT>/inc/<a local::lib path here>
<DEVROOT>/lib/<development files here>
Then when "Foo-Bar-Baz" is installed as:
<DEVROOT>/inc/lib/Foo/Bar/Baz.pm
<DEVROOT>/inc/lib/auto/share/dist/Foo-Bar-Baz
Then "Baz.pm" will not see the "DEVROOT" and assume "Hey, this is development" and then
proceed to try finding files in "DEVROOT/share"
Instead, "DEVROOT" must have "DEVROOT/share/dist/Foo-Bar-Baz" too, otherwise it reverts to
"DEVROOT/inc/lib/auto..."
"Path::Class" interfaces deprecated and dependency dropped.
If you have any dependence on this function, now is the time to get yourself off it.
Minimum Changes to stay with "Path::Class" short term.
As the dependency has been dropped on "Path::Class", if you have "CPAN" modules relying on
"Path::Class" interface, you should now at a very minimum start declaring
{ requires => "Path::Class" }
This will keep your dist working, but will not be future proof against further changes.
Staying with "Path::Class" long term.
Recommended approach if you want to stay using the "Path::Class" interface:
use File::ShareDir::... etc
use Path::Class qw( dir file );
my $dir = dir( dist_dir('Dist-Name') );
This should future-proof you against anything File::ShareDir may do in the future.
"Versioning Scheme arbitrary converted to float"
This change is a superficial one, and should have no bearing on how significant you think
this release is.
It is a significant release, but the primary reason for the version change is simply to
avoid compatibility issues in versions themselves.
However, outside that, "x.y.z" semantics are still intended to be semi-meaningful, just
with less "." and more 0 ☺
"dev" path determination now deferred to call time instead of "use"
This was essentially a required change to make "strict" mode plausible, because strict
mode _requires_ the "distname" to be known, even in the development environment.
This should not have any user visible effects, but please, if you have any problems, file
a bug.
"file" component determination wrested from "File::ShareDir".
dist_file('foo','bar')
Is now simply sugar syntax for
path(dist_dir('foo'))->child('bar')
This should have no side effects in your code, but please file any bugs you experience.
( return value is still "undef" if the file does not exist, and still "croak"'s if the
file is not a file, or unreadable, but these may both be subject to change )
0.5.0 - Heuristics and Return type changes
New "devdir" heuristic
Starting with 0.5.0, instead of using our simple "lib/../share" pattern heuristic, a more
advanced heuristic is used from the new "Path::FindDev" and "Path::IsDev".
This relies on a more "concrete" marker somewhere at the top of your development tree, and
more importantly, checks for the existence of specific files that are not likely to occur
outside a project root.
"lib" and "share" based heuristics were a little fragile, for a few reasons:
• "lib" can, and does appear all over UNIX file systems, for purposes other than
development project roots.
For instance, have a look in "/usr/"
/usr/bin
/usr/lib
/usr/share ## UHOH.
This would have the very bad side effect of anything installed in "/usr/lib" thinking
its "in development".
Fortunately, nobody seems to have hit this specific bug, which I suspect is due only
to "/usr/lib" being a symbolic link on most x86_64 systems.
• "lib" is also reasonably common within "CPAN" package names.
For instance:
lib::abs
Which means you'll have a hierarchy like:
$PREFIX/lib/lib/abs
All you need for something to go horribly wrong would be for somebody to install a
"CPAN" module named:
share::mystuff
Or similar, and instantly, you have:
$PREFIX/lib/lib/
$PREFIX/lib/share/
Which would mean any module calling itself "lib::*" would be unable to use this
module.
So instead, as of 0.5.0, the heuristic revolves around certain specific files being in the
"dev" directory.
Which is hopefully a more fault resilient mechanism.
New Return Types
Starting with 0.5.0, the internals are now based on "Path::Tiny" instead of "Path::Class",
and as a result, there may be a few glitches in transition.
Also, previously you could get a "Path::Class::*" object back from "dist_dir" and
"dist_file" by importing it as such:
use File::ShareDir::ProjectDistDir
qw( dist_dir dist_file ),
defaults => { pathclass => 1 };
Now you can also get "Path::Tiny" objects back, by passing:
use File::ShareDir::ProjectDistDir
qw( dist_dir dist_file ),
defaults => { pathtiny => 1 };
For the time being, you can still get Path::Class objects back, it is deprecated since
1.000000
( In fact, I may even make 2 specific sub-classes of "PDD" for people who want objects
back, as it will make the "API" and the code much cleaner )
AUTHOR
Kent Fredric <kentnl@cpan.org>
COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE
This software is copyright (c) 2017 by Kent Fredric <kentnl@cpan.org>.
This is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as
the Perl 5 programming language system itself.