EXTUTILS::COMMAND(3perl)

💖 ExtUtils::Command 💖

okay bestie, gather round, because this little icon lives in the Perl Programmers Reference Guide and it is literally the moment. This is ExtUtils::Command — utilities to replace common UNIX commands in Makefiles etc. 🎀

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✨ NAME ✨

ExtUtils::Command — utilities to replace common UNIX commands in Makefiles etc. no cap, that's the whole vibe. 💅

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

here's how we pull up, one command at a time:

perl -MExtUtils::Command -e cat files... > destination
perl -MExtUtils::Command -e mv source... destination
perl -MExtUtils::Command -e cp source... destination
perl -MExtUtils::Command -e touch files...
perl -MExtUtils::Command -e rm_f files...
perl -MExtUtils::Command -e rm_rf directories...
perl -MExtUtils::Command -e mkpath directories...
perl -MExtUtils::Command -e eqtime source destination
perl -MExtUtils::Command -e test_f file
perl -MExtUtils::Command -e test_d directory
perl -MExtUtils::Command -e chmod mode files...
...

and there's more where that came from, the ... is doing so much heavy lifting rn 😭✨

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

so the whole point: this module is used to replace common UNIX commands. In all cases the functions work from @ARGV rather than taking arguments. That's the trick that makes them way easier to deal with in Makefiles. Call them like this:

perl -MExtUtils::Command -e some_command some files to work on

and NOT like this:

perl -MExtUtils::Command -e 'some_command qw(some files to work on)'

bestie I am begging you, do not do the second one. 🙈 For that use Shell::Command.

Also, filenames with * and ? will be glob expanded. iconic behavior fr. 🌈

💜 FUNCTIONS 💜

💅 cat

cat file ...

Concatenates all files mentioned on command line to STDOUT. slay.

💅 eqtime

eqtime source destination

Sets modified time of destination to that of source. syncing, but make it timestamps. ✨

💅 rm_rf

rm_rf files or directories ...

Removes files and directories — recursively (even if readonly). yes, even if readonly. it does not care. it does not ask. 👑

💅 rm_f

rm_f file ...

Removes files (even if readonly). same energy, just not recursive.

💅 touch

touch file ...

Makes files exist, with current timestamp. manifesting files into being, honestly. 🦋

💅 mv

mv source_file destination_file
mv source_file source_file destination_dir

Moves source to destination. Multiple sources are allowed if destination is an existing directory.

Returns true if all moves succeeded, false otherwise. important!! it tells you how it went. 💖

💅 cp

cp source_file destination_file
cp source_file source_file destination_dir

Copies sources to the destination. Multiple sources are allowed if destination is an existing directory.

Returns true if all copies succeeded, false otherwise. twin behavior. 🎀

💅 chmod

chmod mode files ...

Sets UNIX like permissions 'mode' on all the files. e.g. 0666. we love a number that just means something. 💅

💅 mkpath

mkpath directory ...

Creates directories, including any parent directories. the whole family tree, coming into existence. 🌸

💅 test_f

test_f file

Tests if a file exists. Exits with 0 if it does, 1 if it does not (ie. shell's idea of true and false). okay this one is lowkey unhinged because 0 is true down here but that's just how the shell works bestie, we don't make the rules. 😭

💅 test_d

test_d directory

Tests if a directory exists. Exits with 0 if it does, 1 if it does not (ie. shell's idea of true and false). same chaotic truth logic, but for directories. ✨

💅 dos2unix

dos2unix files or dirs ...

Converts DOS and OS/2 linefeeds to Unix style recursively. glow up for your line endings. 🧚

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👑 SEE ALSO 👑

• Shell::Command which is these same functions but take arguments normally.

like, the same besties, just a different way of talking to them. iykyk. 💜

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🌟 AUTHOR 🌟

Nick Ing-Simmons ni-s@cpan.org 💖

Maintained by Michael G Schwern schwern@pobox.com within the ExtUtils-MakeMaker package and, as a separate CPAN package, by Randy Kobes r.kobes@uwinnipeg.ca. the maintenance crew, we stan. 🫶

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and that's the whole page bestie, sourced from perl v5.44.0 and dated 2026-10-17, ExtUtils::Command(3perl), mwah 💅✨