NAME Module::Compile - Perl Module Compilation SYNOPSIS package Foo; use Module::Compile -base; sub pmc_compile { my ($class, $source) = @_; # Convert $source into (most likely Perl 5) $compiled_output return $compiled_output; } In Bar.pm: package Bar; use Foo; ... no Foo To compile Bar.pm into Bar.pmc: perl -c Bar.pm DESCRIPTION This module provides a system for writing modules that *compile* other Perl modules. Modules that use these compilation modules get compiled into some altered form the first time they are run. The result is cached into ".pmc" files. Perl has native support for ".pmc" files. It always checks for them, before loading a ".pm" file. You get the following benefits: EXAMPLE You can declare a "v6.pm" compiler with: package v6; use Module::Compile -base; sub pmc_compile { my ($class, $source) = @_; # ... some way to invoke pugs and give p5 code back ... } and use it like: # MyModule.pm use v6-pugs; module MyModule; # ...some p6 code here... no v6; # ...back to p5 land... On the first time this module is loaded, it will compile Perl 6 chunks into Perl 5 (as soon as the "no v6" line is seen), and merge it with the Perl 5 chunks, saving the result into a MyModule.pmc file. The next time around, Perl 5 will automatically load MyModule.pmc when someone says "use MyModule". On the other hand, Perl 6 can run MyModule.pm s a Perl 6 module just fine, as "use v6-pugs" and "no v6" both works in a Perl 6 setting. The v6.pm module will also check if MyModule.pmc is up to date. If it is, then it will touch its timestamp so the ".pmc" is loaded on the next time. BENEFITS Module::Compile compilers gives you the following benefits: * Ability to mix many source filterish modules in a much more sane manner. Module::Compile controls the compilation process, calling each compiler at the right time with the right data. * Ability to ship precompiled modules without shipping Module::Compile and the compiler modules themselves. * Easier debugging of compiled/filtered code. The ".pmc" has the real code you want to see. * Zero runtime penalty after compilation, because "perl" has already been doing the ".pmc" check on every module load since 1999! AUTHORS Audrey Tang Ingy döt Net COPYRIGHT Copyright (c) 2006. Ingy döt Net. All rights reserved. This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself. See