Let's see what do you need to do if you'd like to use ExtUtils::MakeMaker to package your module?

You need to create a file called Makefile.PL, then you might want to tell what is the minimal version of perl this Makefile.PL should run on by adding use 5.008; if you want to require 5.8 as a minimum.

Then we load ExtUtils::MakeMaker and call the WriteMakefile function provided by that module. It gets a set of key-value pairs as parameters.

The first one we see is the name of the application (NAME). Then we tell it where to take the version number from, so the version number of the whole distribution is now taken from one of the modules in the distribution. Usually the main module.

PREREQ_PM is a key for a set of key-value pairs indicating the preprequisites of this distributions. The keys in this internal hash are the names of the required modules, the values are the required minimal version of each module. Putting a 0 as the version number means that we require that module but, we don't care which version. Even modules that are standard, that should come with the default installation of perl should be added here.

If there are modules that are only needed during installation, for example the Test::More is used for the unit-testing of the module, but is not needed for the actual use of the module. Such build-time dependencies should be listed under the BUILD_REQUIRES key.

If there are some script that you would like to be installed, you can list them under the EXE_FILES key.

There are plenty of other properties that can be set in the Makefile.PL, for further information look at the documentation of ExtUtils::MakeMaker.

examples/Makefile.PL



use strict; use warnings; use 5.008; use ExtUtils::MakeMaker; WriteMakefile ( NAME => 'App', AUTHOR => 'Gabor Szabo <szabgab@cpan.org>', VERSION_FROM => 'lib/App.pm', ABSTRACT_FROM => 'lib/App.pm', LICENSE => 'perl', PREREQ_PM => { 'File::Basename' => '0', 'Moose' => '0.24', }, TEST_REQUIRES => { 'Test::More' => '0.47' }, BUILD_REQUIRES => { 'Other::Module' => '0' }, EXE_FILES => [ 'script/app.pl' ], META_MERGE => { 'meta-spec' => { version => 2 }, resources => { repository => { type => 'git', url => 'https://github.com/szabgab/perlmaven.com.git', web => 'https://github.com/szabgab/perlmaveb.com', }, bugtracker => {web => 'https://github.com/szabgab/perlmaven.com/issues'}, homepage => 'https://perlmaven.com/', }, }, );

See also How to convince Meta CPAN to show a link to the version control system of a distribution? and How to add the license field to the META.yml and META.json files on CPAN?