From PerlNet

Contents 1 Note 2 The Tags 2.1 Deprecated 2.2 Magic 2.3 Black Magic 2.4 Source Filter 2.5 Maintained 2.6 Actively Developed 2.7 Non-finalised API 2.8 Windows-only 2.9 UNIX-only 2.10 Linux-only 2.11 Alternative to core 2.12 Pure-Perl 2.13 Requires C Compiler 2.14 Requires C++ Compiler 2.15 Requires Fortran 77 Compiler 2.16 Requires Objective-C Compiler 2.17 External Libs 2.18 Meta-Package 2.19 Plugin/Extension/Component/etc. 2.20 Base Class for Drivers 2.20.1 Driver

Note

This is a list of "definitive tags" which module authors and module users can use to tag these modules, so people will know their status, philosophy and other factors. Some of these tags are mutually-exclusive and some of them are a grade. At the moment, we're just going to list them all here and only then decide how they relate.

The Tags

Deprecated

The module is present and may be maintained, but is not recommended for general use.

Magic

Something unconventional and not straightforward, that may affect the rest of Perl.

Black Magic

Like Magic only something that is considered "Evil". Possible examples:

• Error.pm.

Source Filter

Maintained

Actively Developed

Non-finalised API

Means the API may be broken in the future.

Windows-only

UNIX-only

Linux-only

Alternative to core

This module provides a (hopefully better) alternative to a core module. Examples: cpan:File-Next, cpan:File-Find-Object, cpan:Readonly (alternative to "constant"), cpan:Module-Build (alternative to ExtUtils-MakeMaker), cpan:Module-Starter (alternative to h2xs).

Pure-Perl

A Pure Perl module.

Requires C Compiler

Requires C++ Compiler

Requires Fortran 77 Compiler

Possibly other Fortran versions.

Requires Objective-C Compiler

External Libs

Requires an external library - for example the cpan:Gtk2 module which requires libgtk.

Meta-Package

This is a CPAN "Bundle" or "Task" that does not contain any original functionality of its own, and just specifies a list of dependencies to be retrieved. (Thanks to G. Wade Johnson)

Plugin/Extension/Component/etc.

A plugin to another module, that extends it and provides more functionality. Examples: cpan:Template-Plugin-PodSimple, cpan:POE-Component-IRC, etc. (Thanks to G. Wade Johnson)

Base Class for Drivers

This implements the so-called "Template Pattern" where one has a base class that has many drivers as sub-classes that implement the rest of the functionality. Examples: cpan:DBI, cpan:XML-SAX. (Thanks to G. Wade Johnson).

Driver

This is something like cpan:DBD-Mysql or cpan:DBD-Pg for DBI.