MakefilePL

MakefilePL, commonly written as Makefile.PL, is a Perl packaging script used to generate a Makefile for building and installing a Perl distribution. It is executed by the Perl interpreter during the build process and typically leverages ExtUtils::MakeMaker to produce the Makefile. The script provides configuration as a set of parameters to WriteMakefile, including metadata such as NAME and VERSION, runtime and build dependencies via PREREQ_PM, optional libraries, and additional targets.

When used, a distribution containing a Makefile.PL is processed by running perl Makefile.PL, which creates a Makefile. The standard workflow then proceeds with make to build any XS components, make test to run tests, and make install to install the distribution. For pure-Perl distributions, XS may be absent, but the same sequencing remains.

Makefile.PL is part of a traditional Perl packaging approach. Alternatives include Module::Build with Build.PL, and modern packaging tools like Dist::Zilla or cpanminus with metadata in META.json. Some projects migrate to Build.PL or other systems for portability or features.

Example: WriteMakefile( NAME => 'My::Module', VERSION => '0.01', PREREQ_PM => { 'Some::Dep' => '1.2' }, ABSTRACT => 'Example module' );

References: ExtUtils::MakeMaker documentation; CPAN distribution guidelines.