NAME

WWW::CPAN - CPAN as a web service

SYNOPSIS

use WWW::CPAN;

$meta = WWW::CPAN->fetch_distmeta('Error');

$cpan = WWW::CPAN->new;
$meta = $cpan->fetch_distmeta({ dist => 'Error' });
$meta = $cpan->fetch_distmeta({ dist => 'Error-0.13', });
$meta = $cpan->fetch_distmeta({ dist => 'Error', version => '0.13' }); # same as above
$meta = $cpan->fetch_distmeta({ dist => 'Error', author => 'GBARR', format => 'json' });

DESCRIPTION

Blame Schwern.

[LINK HERE]

Just kidding. I just appropriated Schwern's idea and Graham's work. I am lazy -- but that's supposed to be a quality.

---

Message-ID: <47706655.60109@pobox.com>
Date: Mon, 24 Dec 2007 18:09:25 -0800
From: Michael G Schwern <schwern@pobox.com>
To: List - Module-Build <module-build@perl.org>, 
 Graham Barr <gbarr@pobox.com>
Subject: META.json:  CPAN as a web service

I asked Graham if he'd consider providing META.json auto-conversion for
META.yml files so we can start playing with CPAN data in Javascript.

Well here you are:
http://search.cpan.org/meta/Error/META.json

Specific versions work:
http://search.cpan.org/meta/Error-0.17009/META.json

You can request the META file as YAML:
http://search.cpan.org/meta/Error/META.yml

And even ask for information about the last release of a distribution by a
particular author.
http://search.cpan.org/meta/gbarr/Error/META.yml

As a special bonus feature, Graham added auto generation of META for
distributions which don't have them!  For example, that last META file.  It
includes bonus information like the CPAN Forum, Testers, Tools and rt.cpan.org
resource links.

CPAN distribution data is now available as a web service.  Everybody say
"thank you, Graham"!