ExtUti...niperl(3perl)

💖 ExtUtils::Miniperl — the vibe ✨

ok so bestie, welcome to ExtUtils::Miniperl, a lil corner of the Perl Programmers Reference Guide that literally just writes the C code for miniperlmain.c and perlmain.c. that's it. that's the whole job. and she does it flawlessly 💅

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🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

use ExtUtils::Miniperl;
writemain(@directories);
# or
writemain($fh, @directories);
# or
writemain(\$filename, @directories);

like... three whole ways to call her. pick your fighter 🫶

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🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

okay so writemain() takes an argument list of zero or more directories that contain archive libraries relating to perl modules — libraries that should get linked into a shiny new perl binary. and then she writes a corresponding miniperlmain.c or perlmain.c file for you ✨

and what's in that file? a plain C file, bestie, containing all the bootstrap code needed to make the modules associated with those libraries available from within perl. iconic.

now here's the tea on argument handling 🍓:

• if the first argument to writemain() is a reference to a scalar, it's used as the filename to open for output 📝
• any other reference is used as the filehandle to write to 📬
• otherwise, output just defaults to "STDOUT" — no drama, no setup, she just writes where you point her 👑

🦋 so like, when do you even touch this?

the typical usage is from within perl's own Makefile (to build perlmain.c) or from regen/miniperlmain.pl (to build miniperlmain.c). so under normal circumstances you won't have to deal with this module directly 🙈

fr fr — if you're here on purpose, you're probably doing perl core dev. main character energy 👑

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👀 SEE ALSO 👀

• ExtUtils::MakeMaker

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and that's the whole page, no cap. this was perl v5.44.0, dated 2026-10-17, straight out of the Perl Programmers Reference Guide. mwah, slay, bye bestie 💜🧚✨