Quoting [EMAIL PROTECTED]:

> The latest MakeMaker (snapshot on makemaker.org) will now generate a 
> META.yml file as part of the distdir target, including adding it to the
> MANIFEST.  The intent is to get module meta-data on CPAN without authors 
> doing any work.  All they have to do is upgrade MakeMaker and then 
> 'make dist' will Do The Right Thing.

I apologize, if my question is out of order, but is the use
of YAML common sense on this mailing list? Personally I
strongly disagree. (Not against the generation of such a
file, but against the format.) The same holds true for the
use of YAML in Module::Build, btw.

IMO YAML is a proprietary file with no particular advantage,
except possibly human readability. It is neither common, nor
safe (considering strings with included colons, line feeds,
or similar characters) or fast, and has (IMO) structural
limitations. It isn't supported by any module in the Perl
core, thus requires installation of external modules.

As the desired task implies readability, I would consider other
formats much more sensible, for example Perl code (using
Data::Dumper) or XML. (The latter has of course the same
disadvantage of not being a part of Perl, but it is much
more common, for example all ActivePerl users have it.)
Both solutions allow to store arbitrary textual data, have
no important restrictions on the structure and are so common,
that any Perl user can read and understand them immediately.


Jochen

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