NAME

Module::Compile - Perl Module Compilation

SYNOPSIS

package Foo;
use Module::Compile -base;

sub pmc_compile {
    my ($class, $source) = @_;
    # Convert $source into (most likely Perl 5) $compiled_output
    return $compiled_output;
}

In Bar.pm:

package Bar;

use Foo;
...
no Foo

To compile Bar.pm into Bar.pmc:

perl -c Bar.pm

DESCRIPTION

This module provides a system for writing modules that compile other Perl modules.

Modules that use these compilation modules get compiled into some altered form the first time they are run. The result is cached into .pmc files.

Perl has native support for .pmc files. It always checks for them, before loading a .pm file.

You get the following benefits:

EXAMPLE

You can declare a v6.pm compiler with:

package v6;
use Module::Compile -base;

sub pmc_compile {
    my ($class, $source) = @_;
    # ... some way to invoke pugs and give p5 code back ...
}

and use it like:

# MyModule.pm
use v6-pugs;
module MyModule;
# ...some p6 code here...
no v6;
# ...back to p5 land...

On the first time this module is loaded, it will compile Perl 6 chunks into Perl 5 (as soon as the no v6 line is seen), and merge it with the Perl 5 chunks, saving the result into a MyModule.pmc file.

The next time around, Perl 5 will automatically load MyModule.pmc when someone says use MyModule. On the other hand, Perl 6 can run MyModule.pm s a Perl 6 module just fine, as use v6-pugs and no v6 both works in a Perl 6 setting.

The v6.pm module will also check if MyModule.pmc is up to date. If it is, then it will touch its timestamp so the .pmc is loaded on the next time.

BENEFITS

Module::Compile compilers gives you the following benefits:

• Ability to mix many source filterish modules in a much more sane manner. Module::Compile controls the compilation process, calling each compiler at the right time with the right data.

• Ability to ship precompiled modules without shipping Module::Compile and the compiler modules themselves.

• Easier debugging of compiled/filtered code. The .pmc has the real code you want to see.

• Zero additional runtime penalty after compilation, because perl has already been doing the .pmc check on every module load since 1999!

AUTHORS

Audrey Tang <autrijus@autrijus.org>

Ingy döt Net <ingy@cpan.org>

COPYRIGHT

Copyright (c) 2006. Ingy döt Net. All rights reserved.

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.

See http://www.perl.com/perl/misc/Artistic.html

cpanm Module::Compile

perl -MCPAN -e shell
install Module::Compile