Pro Perl

CHAPTER 9Using Modules

Modules are the basic unit of reusable code in Perl, the equivalent of libraries in other languages. Perl's standard library is almost entirely made up of modules. When we talk about Perl libraries, we usually mean modules that are included as part of the standard Perl library—the collection of Perl code that comes with the standard Perl distribution. Although the words "module" and "library" are frequently used interchangeably, they are actually not quite equivalent because not all libraries are implemented as modules. Modules are closely related to packages, which we have already been exposed to in previous chapters. In many cases a module is the physical container of a package—the file in which the package is defined. ...