Alt

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README  view on Meta::CPAN

    A module "Foo::Bar" is distributed on CPAN as "Foo-Bar". It may have
    submodules like "Foo::Bar::Baz".

    To make an alternate CPAN version, leave everything exactly the same,
    except distribute the new version as "Alt-Foo-Bar-AltIdentifier".

    When a user installs your module like so:

        PERL_ALT_INSTALL=OVERWRITE cpanm Alt::Foo::Bar::better

    they will get your version of the Foo::Bar framework (Foo::Bar,
    Foo::Bar::Baz).

    Obviously, this completely overlays the old Foo::Bar install, but that's
    the whole idea. The user isn't surprised by this because they just asked
    for an Alternate implementation. If they don't like it, they can simply
    reinstall the original Foo-Bar, or try some other alternate.

ALT BEST PRACTICES
    This idea is new, and the details should be sorted out through proper
    discussions. Pull requests welcome.

README  view on Meta::CPAN

        Due to experience with <http://cpantesters.org/> problems, it is
        important to make your Alt module not install without explicit
        direction. You can accomplish this easily in a Makefile.PL, with
        something like this:

            my $alt = $ENV{PERL_ALT_INSTALL} || '';
            $WriteMakefileArgs{DESTDIR} =
              $alt ? $alt eq 'OVERWRITE' ? '' : $alt : 'no-install-alt';

        Similar techniques should be available for other module release
        frameworks.

    Module for CPAN Indexing
        You will need to provide a module like "Alt::IO::All::MSTROUT" so
        that CPAN will index something that can cause your distribution to
        get installed by people:

            PERL_ALT_INSTALL=OVERWRITE cpanm Alt::IO::All::MSTROUT

        Since you are adding this module, you should add some doc to it
        explaining your alternate version's improvements.

lib/Alt.pod  view on Meta::CPAN

A module C<Foo::Bar> is distributed on CPAN as C<Foo-Bar>. It may have
submodules like C<Foo::Bar::Baz>.

To make an alternate CPAN version, leave everything exactly the same, except
distribute the new version as C<Alt-Foo-Bar-AltIdentifier>.

When a user installs your module like so:

    PERL_ALT_INSTALL=OVERWRITE cpanm Alt::Foo::Bar::better

they will get your version of the Foo::Bar framework (Foo::Bar,
Foo::Bar::Baz).

Obviously, this completely overlays the old Foo::Bar install, but that's the
whole idea. The user isn't surprised by this because they just asked for an
B<Alt>ernate implementation. If they don't like it, they can simply reinstall
the original Foo-Bar, or try some other alternate.

=head1 ALT BEST PRACTICES

This idea is new, and the details should be sorted out through proper

lib/Alt.pod  view on Meta::CPAN

=item Makefile.PL Changes

Due to experience with L<http://cpantesters.org/> problems, it is important to
make your Alt module B<not> install without explicit direction. You can
accomplish this easily in a Makefile.PL, with something like this:

    my $alt = $ENV{PERL_ALT_INSTALL} || '';
    $WriteMakefileArgs{DESTDIR} =
      $alt ? $alt eq 'OVERWRITE' ? '' : $alt : 'no-install-alt';

Similar techniques should be available for other module release frameworks.

=item Module for CPAN Indexing

You will need to provide a module like C<Alt::IO::All::MSTROUT> so that
CPAN will index something that can cause your distribution to get installed
by people:

    PERL_ALT_INSTALL=OVERWRITE cpanm Alt::IO::All::MSTROUT

Since you are adding this module, you should add some doc to it explaining