ExtUtilsMakeMaker

ExtUtils::MakeMaker is a Perl module that provides a standard way to build and install Perl modules by generating a Makefile from a simple script. It is part of the ExtUtils family and has long been the traditional tooling for CPAN distributions.

Authoring a distribution typically involves writing a Makefile.PL that uses ExtUtils::MakeMaker and calls WriteMakefile with configuration options such as NAME, VERSION, ABSTRACT, AUTHOR, and PREREQ_PM for runtime dependencies. When perl Makefile.PL is run, a Makefile is produced that then supports the usual targets: make, make test, and make install. The Makefile can be used on Unix-like systems with make, and on Windows with compatible tools such as nmake or dmake, depending on the Perl distribution.

Key features include dependency specification through PREREQ_PM, platform- and compiler-related flags via INC, LIBS, and DEFINE, support for XS code via dynamic_lib, and the ability to customize the generated Makefile with options such as postamble and clean. It also exposes standard metadata fields like NAME, VERSION, ABSTRACT, and AUTHOR for distribution metadata.

ExtUtils::MakeMaker remains widely used, particularly on CPAN, but it has competition from Module::Build and newer packaging tools. It continues to be maintained to preserve compatibility with older distributions and Perl versions.

Example: use ExtUtils::MakeMaker; WriteMakefile( NAME => 'My::Module', VERSION => '0.01', PREREQ_PM => {'Some::Module' => '1.23'} );