Dpkg::Changelog::Parse(3perl)

💅 Dpkg::Changelog::Parse 💅

okay so bestie, real talk: this is the generic changelog parser for dpkg-parsechangelog, from the libdpkg-perl manual, section 3perl. she's iconic, she's a little niche, and she's about to make your changelog life so much easier 🎀

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✨ NAME ✨

Dpkg::Changelog::Parse — the generic changelog parser for dpkg-parsechangelog, no cap 🫶

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🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

This module hands you a whole little set of functions that reproduce all the features of dpkg-parsechangelog. like, every single one. it's giving "why reimplement when you can just import" energy and honestly? obsessed 💖

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🦋 FUNCTIONS 🦋

⭐ $fields = changelog_parse(%opts)

This one right here parses a changelog for you. the returns are very context-dependent, so pay attention bestie:

• In list context — it returns as many Dpkg::Control objects as the parser actually created. as many as it made, periodt.
• In scalar context — it returns only the first one.
• If the parser didn't return any data at all, you get an empty list in list context, or undef in scalar context. sad but true 😭
• If the parser failed, it will die. straight up. no warning shot.

Any parse errors get printed as warnings on standard error, but you can turn that off by passing $opts{verbose} as 0. you're in control, main character 💅

The parsing itself is done by a parser module — searched in the standard perl library directories. that module is named according to the format it's able to parse, with the name capitalized. by default it's either Dpkg::Changelog::Debian (from the "debian" format) or whatever format name it looks up in the 40 last lines of the changelog itself, extracted with this exact perl regular expression:

"\schangelog-format:\s+([0-9a-z]+)\W"

but lowkey you can override all that with $opts{changelogformat}. yw ✨

All the other keys in %opts get forwarded to the parser module constructor. every last one. we don't gatekeep 🔥

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🎀 Options 🎀

• filename — set the changelog file to parse. defaults to debian/changelog. the classic.
• file — deprecated alias for filename. it emits a deprecation warning 😬 but if it's required for backwards compatibility, it can be passed alongside filename and the warning will not be emitted. loophole unlocked.
• label — set the changelog name used in output messages. defaults to $opts{filename}. so your messages know who they're talking about 💖
• compression — set a boolean on whether to load the file without compression support. if the file is the default, compression is disabled; otherwise the default is to enable compression. yes, that's the actual rule, write it down 🖊️
• changelogformat — set the changelog input format to use.
• format — set the output format to use. defaults to "dpkg".
• verbose — set whether to print any parse errors as warnings to standard error. defaults to true.

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🌈 CHANGES 🌈

🕰️ Version 2.02 (dpkg 1.23.0)

• New options: 'filename in changelog_parse(). (yes, the quote mark is in the original, don't @ me 🙈)
• Deprecated options: 'file' in changelog_parse().

🕰️ Version 2.01 (dpkg 1.20.6)

• New option: 'verbose' in changelog_parse().

🕰️ Version 2.00 (dpkg 1.20.0)

• Remove functions: changelog_parse_debian(), changelog_parse_plugin().
• Remove warnings: For options 'forceplugin', 'libdir'.

🕰️ Version 1.03 (dpkg 1.19.0)

• New option: 'compression' in changelog_parse().

🕰️ Version 1.02 (dpkg 1.18.8)

• Deprecated functions: changelog_parse_debian(), changelog_parse_plugin().
• Obsolete options: forceplugin, libdir.

🕰️ Version 1.01 (dpkg 1.18.2)

• New functions: changelog_parse_debian(), changelog_parse_plugin().

🕰️ Version 1.00 (dpkg 1.15.6)

• Mark the module as public. she's out, she's official, she's slaying 👑

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ngl bestie, if the parser dies, you die. catch it or cry about it 😭💀

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and that's the whole page!! this lil rewrite was served to you by libdpkg-perl version 1.23.11-dirty, dated 2026-09-09, for Dpkg::Changelog::Parse(3perl) — mwah, drink water, and go parse something gorgeous 🧚💜🍓