=head1 NAME META-spec - Specification for F documents =head1 SYNOPSIS --- #YAML:1.0 name: Module-Build abstract: Build and install Perl modules version: 0.20 author: - Ken Williams license: perl distribution_type: module requires: Config: 0 Cwd: 0 Data::Dumper: 0 ExtUtils::Install: 0 File::Basename: 0 File::Compare: 0 File::Copy: 0 File::Find: 0 File::Path: 0 File::Spec: 0 IO::File: 0 perl: 5.005_03 recommends: Archive::Tar: 1.00 ExtUtils::Install: 0.3 ExtUtils::ParseXS: 2.02 Pod::Text: 0 YAML: 0.35 build_requires: Test: 0 urls: license: http://dev.perl.org/licenses/ meta-spec: version: 1.3 url: http://module-build.sourceforge.net/META-spec-v1.3.html generated_by: Module::Build version 0.20 =head1 DESCRIPTION This document describes version 1.3 of the F specification. The F file describes important properties of contributed Perl distributions such as the ones found on CPAN. It is typically created by tools like Module::Build, Module::Install, and ExtUtils::MakeMaker. The fields in the F file are meant to be helpful for people maintaining module collections (like CPAN), for people writing installation tools (like CPAN.pm or CPANPLUS), or just for people who want to know some stuff about a distribution before downloading it and starting to install it. I, and the latest development version (which may include things that won't make it into the stable version) can always be found at L.> =head1 FORMAT F files are written in the YAML format (see L). See the following links to learn why we chose YAML instead of, say, XML or Data::Dumper: =over 4 =item Module::Build design plans L =item Not keen on YAML L =item META Concerns L =back =head1 TERMINOLOGY =over 4 =item distribution This is the primary object described by the F specification. In the context of this document it usually refers to a collection of modules, scripts, and/or documents that are distributed together for other developers to use. Examples of distributions are C, C, or C. =item module This refers to a reusable library of code typically contained in a single file. Currently, we primarily talk of perl modules, but this specification should be open enough to apply to other languages as well (ex. python, ruby). Examples of modules are C, C, or C. =back =head1 HEADER The first line of a F file should be a valid YAML document header like C<"--- #YAML:1.0">. =head1 FIELDS The rest of the F file is one big YAML mapping whose keys are described here. =head2 meta-spec Example: meta-spec: version: 1.3 url: http://module-build.sourceforge.net/META-spec-v1.3.html (Spec 1.1) [required] {URL} This field indicates the location of the version of the META.yml specification used. =head2 name Example: name: Module-Build (Spec 1.0) [required] {string} The name of the distribution which is often created by taking the "main module" in the distribution and changing "::" to "-". Sometimes it's completely different, however, as in the case of the libww-perl distribution (see L). =head2 version Example: version: 0.20 (Spec 1.0) [required] {version} The version of the distribution to which the F file refers. =head2 abstract Example: abstract: Build and install Perl modules. (Spec 1.1) [required] {string} A short description of the purpose of the distribution. =head2 author Example: author: - Ken Williams (Spec 1.1) [required] {list of strings} A YAML sequence indicating the author(s) of the distribution. The prefered form is author-name . =head2 license Example: license: perl (Spec 1.0) [required] {string} The license under which this distribution may be used and redistributed. See L for the list of valid options. =head2 distribution_type Example: distribution_type: module (Spec 1.0) [optional] {string} What kind of stuff is contained in this distribution. Most things on CPAN are Cs (which can also mean a collection of modules), but some things are C