Parse::CPAN::Meta - Parse META.yml and META.json CPAN metadata files
#############################################
# In your file
---
name: My-Distribution
version: 1.23
resources:
homepage: "http://example.com/dist/My-Distribution"
#############################################
# In your program
use Parse::CPAN::Meta;
my $distmeta = Parse::CPAN::Meta->load_file('META.yml');
# Reading properties
my $name = $distmeta->{name};
my $version = $distmeta->{version};
my $homepage = $distmeta->{resources}{homepage};Parse::CPAN::Meta is a parser for META.json and META.yml files, using JSON::PP and/or CPAN::Meta::YAML.
Parse::CPAN::Meta provides three methods: load_file, load_json_string, and load_yaml_string. These will read and deserialize CPAN metafiles, and are described below in detail.
Parse::CPAN::Meta provides a legacy API of only two functions, based on the YAML functions of the same name. Wherever possible, identical calling semantics are used. These may only be used with YAML sources.
All error reporting is done with exceptions (die'ing).
Note that META files are expected to be in UTF-8 encoding, only. When converted string data, it must first be decoded from UTF-8.
my $metadata_structure = Parse::CPAN::Meta->load_file('META.json');
my $metadata_structure = Parse::CPAN::Meta->load_file('META.yml');This method will read the named file and deserialize it to a data structure, determining whether it should be JSON or YAML based on the filename. On Perl 5.8.1 or later, the file will be read using the ":utf8" IO layer.
my $metadata_structure = Parse::CPAN::Meta->load_yaml_string($yaml_string);This method deserializes the given string of YAML and returns the first document in it. (CPAN metadata files should always have only one document.) If the source was UTF-8 encoded, the string must be decoded before calling load_yaml_string.
my $metadata_structure = Parse::CPAN::Meta->load_json_string($json_string);This method deserializes the given string of JSON and the result. If the source was UTF-8 encoded, the string must be decoded before calling load_json_string.
my $backend = Parse::CPAN::Meta->yaml_backend;Returns the module name of the YAML serializer. See "ENVIRONMENT" for details.
my $backend = Parse::CPAN::Meta->json_backend;Returns the module name of the JSON serializer. This will either be JSON::PP or JSON. Even if PERL_JSON_BACKEND is set, this will return JSON as further delegation is handled by the JSON module. See "ENVIRONMENT" for details.
For maintenance clarity, no functions are exported. These functions are available for backwards compatibility only and are best avoided in favor of load_file.
my @yaml = Parse::CPAN::Meta::Load( $string );Parses a string containing a valid YAML stream into a list of Perl data structures.
my @yaml = Parse::CPAN::Meta::LoadFile( 'META.yml' );Reads the YAML stream from a file instead of a string.
By default, JSON::PP will be used for deserializing JSON data. If the PERL_JSON_BACKEND environment variable exists, is true and is not "JSON::PP", then the JSON module (version 2.5 or greater) will be loaded and used to interpret PERL_JSON_BACKEND. If JSON is not installed or is too old, an exception will be thrown.
By default, CPAN::Meta::YAML will be used for deserializing YAML data. If the PERL_YAML_BACKEND environment variable is defined, then it is intepreted as a module to use for deserialization. The given module must be installed, must load correctly and must implement the Load() function or an exception will be thrown.
Bugs should be reported via the CPAN bug tracker at
http://rt.cpan.org/NoAuth/ReportBug.html?Queue=Parse-CPAN-Meta
Adam Kennedy <adamk@cpan.org>
Copyright 2006 - 2010 Adam Kennedy.
This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.
The full text of the license can be found in the LICENSE file included with this module.