lib(3)									lib(3)

NAME    [Toc]    [Back]

     lib - manipulate @INC at compile time

SYNOPSIS    [Toc]    [Back]

	 use lib LIST;

	 no lib	LIST;

DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]

     This is a small simple module which simplifies the	manipulation of	@INC
     at	compile	time.

     It	is typically used to add extra directories to perl's search path so
     that later	use or require statements will find modules which are not
     located on	perl's default search path.

     ADDING DIRECTORIES	TO @INC

     The parameters to use lib are added to the	start of the perl search path.
     Saying

	 use lib LIST;

     is	almost the same	as saying

	 BEGIN { unshift(@INC, LIST) }

     For each directory	in LIST	(called	$dir here) the lib module also checks
     to	see if a directory called $dir/$archname/auto exists.  If so the
     $dir/$archname directory is assumed to be a corresponding architecture
     specific directory	and is added to	@INC in	front of $dir.

     If	LIST includes both $dir	and $dir/$archname then	$dir/$archname will be
     added to @INC twice (if $dir/$archname/auto exists).

     DELETING DIRECTORIES FROM @INC

     You should	normally only add directories to @INC.	If you need to delete
     directories from @INC take	care to	only delete those which	you added
     yourself or which you are certain are not needed by other modules in your
     script.  Other modules may	have added directories which they need for
     correct operation.

     By	default	the no lib statement deletes the first instance	of each	named
     directory from @INC.  To delete multiple instances	of the same name from
     @INC you can specify the name multiple times.

     To	delete all instances of	all the	specified names	from @INC you can
     specify ':ALL' as the first parameter of no lib. For example:





									Page 1






lib(3)									lib(3)



	 no lib	qw(:ALL	.);

     For each directory	in LIST	(called	$dir here) the lib module also checks
     to	see if a directory called $dir/$archname/auto exists.  If so the
     $dir/$archname directory is assumed to be a corresponding architecture
     specific directory	and is also deleted from @INC.

     If	LIST includes both $dir	and $dir/$archname then	$dir/$archname will be
     deleted from @INC twice (if $dir/$archname/auto exists).

     RESTORING ORIGINAL	@INC

     When the lib module is first loaded it records the	current	value of @INC
     in	an array @lib::ORIG_INC. To restore @INC to that value you can say

	 @INC =	@lib::ORIG_INC;

SEE ALSO    [Toc]    [Back]

     FindBin - optional	module which deals with	paths relative to the source
     file.

AUTHOR    [Toc]    [Back]

     Tim Bunce,	2nd June 1995.


									PPPPaaaaggggeeee 2222