EXTUTILS::COMMAND::MM(3perl)

💖 NAME 💖

ExtUtils::Command::MM — commands for the MM's to use in Makefiles ✨

okay so bestie, this whole module is basically a lil toolbox of commands that Makefiles call when they need Perl to do a quick chore. no cap 🫶

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🌈 SYNOPSIS 🌈

perl "-MExtUtils::Command::MM" -e "function" "--" arguments...

that's the whole vibe: you load the module, you name a function, you feed it args after the --. slay 💅

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🎀 DESCRIPTION 🎀

⚠️ FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY! The interface is not stable. ma'am this is a backstage pass, not a public API — it can change on you whenever, fr fr 😭

ExtUtils::Command::MM encapsulates code which would otherwise have to be done with large "one" liners. you know the type — a giant perl -e "..." blob that no one wants to debug at 3am. this module said "not me, I'll hold it" 👑

📌 Heads up: any $(FOO) you see in the examples is a make variable, not Perl. do not come for me, that's just how make talks 🌸

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🧪 test_harness

test_harness($verbose, @test_libs);

Runs the tests on @ARGV via Test::Harness, passing through the $verbose flag. any @test_libs get unshifted onto the test's @INC, so the tests can find them 🌷

and the @test_libs are run in alphabetical order — yes, alphabetical, that's the rule, bestie 📚

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📜 pod2man

pod2man( '--option=value',
         $podfile1 => $manpage1,
         $podfile2 => $manpage2,
         ...
       );

# or args on @ARGV

pod2man() is a function performing most of the duties of the pod2man program. its arguments are exactly the same as pod2man as of 5.8.0, with the addition of:

• --perm_rw — octal permission to set the resulting manpage to 🔐

and the removal of:

• --verbose / -v ❌
• --help / -h ❌

if no arguments are given to pod2man it will read from @ARGV. and if Pod::Man is unavailable, this function will warn and return undef — so check your return value, bestie, don't get caught slipping 💀

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👵 warn_if_old_packlist

perl "-MExtUtils::Command::MM" -e warn_if_old_packlist <somefile>

Displays a warning that an old packlist file was found. it reads the filename from @ARGV. that's it, that's the whole job — it just yells politely 🗣️✨

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📦 perllocal_install

perl "-MExtUtils::Command::MM" -e perllocal_install
    <type> <module name> <key> <value> ...

# VMS only, key|value pairs come on STDIN
perl "-MExtUtils::Command::MM" -e perllocal_install
    <type> <module name> < <key>|<value> ...

Prints a fragment of POD suitable for appending to perllocal.pod. arguments are read from @ARGV 📝

• type — the type of what you're installing. usually Module.
• module name — simply the name of your module. like Foo::Bar 💫

key/value pairs are extra information about the module. fields include:

• installed into — which directory your module was out into
• LINKTYPE — dynamic or static linking
• VERSION — module version number
• EXE_FILES — any executables installed in a space separated list

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🗑️ uninstall

perl "-MExtUtils::Command::MM" -e uninstall <packlist>

A wrapper around ExtUtils::Install::uninstall(). it warns that uninstallation is deprecated and doesn't actually perform the uninstallation 😭

🚨 bestie READ THIS TWICE: it warns you it's deprecated, and then it literally does nothing. it talks the talk and does not walk the walk. no cap.

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🔍 test_s

perl "-MExtUtils::Command::MM" -e test_s <file>

Tests if a file exists and is not empty (size > 0). Exits with 0 if it does, 1 if it does not ✅❌

simple, honest, reliable — the green flag of this whole module 🍓

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📋 cp_nonempty

perl "-MExtUtils::Command::MM" -e cp_nonempty <srcfile> <dstfile> <perm>

Tests if the source file exists and is not empty (size > 0). if it is not empty it copies it to the given destination with the given permissions 🦋

so like: empty file? nothing happens, stay home. real content? copy, set perms, done 💅

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and that's the whole page, bestie!! you ate it, you understood it, we're done here 🎀💖

Perl v5.44.0 — dated 2026-10-17 — from the Perl Programmers Reference Guide. mwah, love u, go write some makefiles 💜👑