Dist::Zilla(3pm)

NAME
Dist::Zilla - distribution builder; installer not included!

VERSION
version 6.037

DESCRIPTION
Dist::Zilla builds distributions of code to be uploaded to the CPAN. In this respect, it is like ExtUtils::MakeMaker, Module::Build, or Module::Install. Unlike those tools, however, it is not also a system for installing code that has been downloaded from the CPAN. Since it's only run by authors, and is meant to be run on a repository checkout rather than on published, released code, it can do much more than those tools, and is free to make much more ludicrous demands in terms of prerequisites.

If you have access to the web, you can learn more and find an interactive tutorial at dzil.org <https://dzil.org/>. If not, try Dist::Zilla::Tutorial.

PERL VERSION
This module should work on any version of perl still receiving updates from the Perl 5 Porters. This means it should work on any version of perl released in the last two to three years. (That is, if the most recently released version is v5.40, then this module should work on both v5.40 and v5.38.)

Although it may work on older versions of perl, no guarantee is made that the minimum required version will not be increased. The version may be increased for any reason, and there is no promise that patches will be accepted to lower the minimum required perl.

ATTRIBUTES

  name
The name attribute (which is required) gives the name of the distribution to be built. This is usually the name of the distribution's main module, with the double colons ("::") replaced with dashes. For example: "Dist-Zilla".

  version
This is the version of the distribution to be created.

  release_status
This attribute sets the release status to one of the CPAN::META::Spec <https://metacpan.org/pod/CPAN::Meta::Spec#release_status> values: 'stable', 'testing' or 'unstable'.

If the $ENV{RELEASE_STATUS} environment variable exists, its value will be used as the release status.

For backwards compatibility, if $ENV{RELEASE_STATUS} does not exist and the $ENV{TRIAL} variable is true, the release status will be 'testing'.

Otherwise, the release status will be set from a ReleaseStatusProvider, if one has been configured.

For backwards compatibility, setting "is_trial" true in dist.ini is equivalent to using a "ReleaseStatusProvider". If "is_trial" is false, it has no effect.

Only one "ReleaseStatusProvider" may be used.

If no providers are used, the release status defaults to 'stable' unless there is an "_" character in the version, in which case, it defaults to 'testing'.

  abstract
This is a one-line summary of the distribution. If none is given, one will be looked for in the "main_module" of the dist.

  main_module
This is the module where Dist::Zilla might look for various defaults, like the distribution abstract. By default, it's derived from the distribution name. If your distribution is Foo-Bar, and lib/Foo/Bar.pm exists, that's the main_module. Otherwise, it's the shortest-named module in the distribution. This may change!

You can override the default by specifying the file path explicitly, ie:

  main_module = lib/Foo/Bar.pm

  license
This is the Software::License object for this dist's license and copyright.

It will be created automatically, if possible, with the "copyright_holder" and "copyright_year" attributes. If necessary, it will try to guess the license from the POD of the dist's main module.

A better option is to set the "license" name in the dist's config to something understandable, like "Perl_5".

  authors
This is an arrayref of author strings, like this:

  [
    'Ricardo Signes <rjbs@cpan.org>',
    'X. Ample, Jr <example@example.biz>',
  ]

This is likely to change at some point in the near future.

  files
This is an arrayref of objects implementing Dist::Zilla::Role::File that will, if left in this arrayref, be built into the dist.

Non-core code should avoid altering this arrayref, but sometimes there is not other way to change the list of files. In the future, the representation used for storing files will be changed.

  root
This is the root directory of the dist, as a Path::Tiny. It will nearly always be the current working directory in which "dzil" was run.

  is_trial
This attribute tells us whether or not the dist will be a trial release, i.e. whether it has "release_status" 'testing' or 'unstable'.

Do not set this directly, it will be derived from "release_status".

  plugins
This is an arrayref of plugins that have been plugged into this Dist::Zilla object.

Non-core code must not alter this arrayref. Public access to this attribute may go away in the future.

  distmeta
This is a hashref containing the metadata about this distribution that will be stored in META.yml or META.json. You should not alter the metadata in this hash; use a MetaProvider plugin instead.

  prereqs
This is a Dist::Zilla::Prereqs object, which is a thin layer atop CPAN::Meta::Prereqs, and describes the distribution's prerequisites.

  logger
This attribute stores a Log::Dispatchouli::Proxy object, used to log messages. By default, a proxy to the dist's Chrome is taken.

The following methods are delegated from the Dist::Zilla object to the logger:

•   log

•   log_debug

•   log_fatal

METHODS

  register_prereqs
Allows registration of prerequisites; delegates to "register_prereqs" in Dist::Zilla::Prereqs via our "prereqs" attribute.

  plugin_named
  my $plugin = $zilla->plugin_named( $plugin_name );

  plugins_with
  my $roles = $zilla->plugins_with( -SomeRole );

This method returns an arrayref containing all the Dist::Zilla object's plugins that perform the named role. If the given role name begins with a dash, the dash is replaced with "Dist::Zilla::Role::"

  find_files
  my $files = $zilla->find_files( $finder_name );

This method will look for a FileFinder-performing plugin with the given name and return the result of calling "find_files" on it. If no plugin can be found, an exception will be raised.

  stash_named
  my $stash = $zilla->stash_named( $name );

This method will return the stash with the given name, or undef if none exists. It looks for a local stash (for this dist) first, then falls back to a global stash (from the user's global configuration).

STABILITY PROMISE
None.

I will try not to break things within any major release. Minor releases are not extensively tested before release. In major releases, anything goes, although I will try to publish a complete list of known breaking changes in any major release.

If Dist::Zilla was a tool, it would have yellow and black stripes and there would be no UL certification <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UL_(safety_organization)> on it. It is nasty, brutish, and large.

SUPPORT
There are usually people on "irc.perl.org" in "#distzilla", even if they're idling.

The Dist::Zilla website <https://dzil.org/> has several valuable resources for learning to use Dist::Zilla.

SEE ALSO

•   In the Dist::Zilla distribution:

    •   Plugin bundles: @Basic, @Filter.

    •   Major plugins: GatherDir, Prereqs, AutoPrereqs, MetaYAML, MetaJSON, ...

•   On the CPAN:

    •   Search for plugins: <https://metacpan.org/search?q=Dist::Zilla::Plugin::>

    •   Search for plugin bundles: <https://metacpan.org/search?q=Dist::Zilla::PluginBundle::>

AUTHOR
Ricardo SIGNES 😏 <cpan@semiotic.systems>

CONTRIBUTORS

•   Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason <avarab@gmail.com>

•   Alastair McGowan-Douglas <alastair.mcgowan@opusvl.com>

•   Alceu Rodrigues de Freitas Junior <glasswalk3r@yahoo.com.br>

•   Alexei Znamensky <russoz@cpan.org>

•   Alex Vandiver <alexmv@mit.edu>

•   ambs <ambs@cpan.org>

•   Andrew Rodland <andrew@hbslabs.com>

•   Andy Jack <andyjack@cpan.org>

•   Apocalypse <APOCAL@cpan.org>

•   ben hengst <ben.hengst@gmail.com>

•   Bernardo Rechea <brbpub@gmail.com>

•   Branislav Zahradník <happy.barney@gmail.com>

•   Brian Fraser <fraserbn@gmail.com>

•   Caleb Cushing <xenoterracide@gmail.com>

•   Chase Whitener <cwhitener@gmail.com>

•   Chisel <chisel@chizography.net>

•   Christian Walde <walde.christian@googlemail.com>

•   Christopher Bottoms <molecules@users.noreply.github.com>

•   Christopher J. Madsen <cjm@cjmweb.net>

•   Chris Weyl <cweyl@alumni.drew.edu>

•   Cory G Watson <gphat@onemogin.com>

•   csjewell <perl@csjewell.fastmail.us>

•   Curtis Brandt <curtisjbrandt@gmail.com>

•   Dagfinn Ilmari Mannsåker <ilmari@ilmari.org>

•   Damien KRotkine <dkrotkine@booking.com>

•   Dan Book <grinnz@gmail.com>

•   Daniel Böhmer <post@daniel-boehmer.de>

•   Danijel Tasov <dt@korn.shell.la>

•   Dave Lambley <dave@lambley.me.uk>

•   Dave O'Neill <dmo@dmo.ca>

•   Dave Rolsky <autarch@urth.org>

•   David E. Wheeler <david@justatheory.com>

•   David Golden <dagolden@cpan.org>

•   David H. Adler <dha@pobox.com>

•   David Steinbrunner <dsteinbrunner@pobox.com>

•   David Zurborg <port@david-zurb.org>

•   Davor Cubranic <cubranic@stat.ubc.ca>

•   Dimitar Petrov <mitakaa@gmail.com>

•   Doug Bell <doug@preaction.me>

•   Elvin Aslanov <rwp.primary@gmail.com>

•   Erik Carlsson <info@code301.com>

•   Fayland Lam <fayland@gmail.com>

•   Felix Ostmann <felix.ostmann@gmail.com>

•   Florian Ragwitz <rafl@debian.org>

•   Fred Moyer <fred@redhotpenguin.com>

•   fREW Schmidt <frioux@gmail.com>

•   gardnerm <gardnerm@gsicommerce.com>

•   Gianni Ceccarelli <gianni.ceccarelli@net-a-porter.com>

•   Graham Barr <gbarr@pobox.com>

•   Graham Knop <haarg@haarg.org>

•   Graham Ollis <plicease@cpan.org>

•   Grzegorz Rożniecki <xaerxess@gmail.com>

•   Håkon Hægland <hakon.hagland@gmail.com>

•   Hans Dieter Pearcey <hdp@weftsoar.net>

•   Hunter McMillen <mcmillhj@gmail.com>

•   Ivan Bessarabov <ivan@bessarabov.ru>

•   Jakob Voss <jakob@nichtich.de>

•   jantore <jantore@32k.org>

•   Jérôme Quelin <jquelin@gmail.com>

•   Jesse Luehrs <doy@tozt.net>

•   Jesse Vincent <jesse@bestpractical.com>

•   JJ Merelo <jjmerelo@gmail.com>

•   John Napiorkowski <jjnapiork@cpan.org>

•   jonasbn <jonasbn@gmail.com>

•   Jonathan C. Otsuka <djgoku@gmail.com>

•   Jonathan Rockway <jrockway@cpan.org>

•   Jonathan Scott Duff <duff@pobox.com>

•   Jonathan Yu <jawnsy@cpan.org>

•   Karen Etheridge <ether@cpan.org>

•   Kent Fredric <kentfredric@gmail.com>

•   Leon Timmermans <fawaka@gmail.com>

•   Lucas Theisen <lucastheisen@pastdev.com>

•   Luc St-Louis <lucs@pobox.com>

•   Marcel Gruenauer <hanekomu@gmail.com>

•   Mark Flickinger <mark.flickinger@grantstreet.com>

•   Martin McGrath <mcgrath.martin@gmail.com>

•   Mary Ehlers <regina.verb.ae@gmail.com>

•   Mateu X Hunter <hunter@missoula.org>

•   Matthew Horsfall <wolfsage@gmail.com>

•   mauke <l.mai@web.de>

•   Michael Conrad <mike@nrdvana.net>

•   Michael G. Schwern <schwern@pobox.com>

•   Michael Jemmeson <mjemmeson@cpan.org>

•   Mickey Nasriachi <mickey@cpan.org>

•   Mike Doherty <mike@mikedoherty.ca>

•   Mohammad S Anwar <mohammad.anwar@yahoo.com>

•   Moritz Onken <onken@netcubed.de>

•   Neil Bowers <neil@bowers.com>

•   Nickolay Platonov <nickolay@desktop.(none)>

•   Nick Tonkin <1nickt@users.noreply.github.com>

•   nperez <nperez@cpan.org>

•   Olivier Mengué <dolmen@cpan.org>

•   Paul Cochrane <paul@liekut.de>

•   Paulo Custodio <pauloscustodio@gmail.com>

•   Pedro Melo <melo@simplicidade.org>

•   perlancar (@pc-office) <perlancar@gmail.com>

•   Philippe Bruhat (BooK) <book@cpan.org>

•   raf <68724930+rafork@users.noreply.github.com>

•   Randy Stauner <rwstauner@cpan.org>

•   reneeb <info@perl-services.de>

•   Ricardo Signes <rjbs@semiotic.systems>

•   robertkrimen <robertkrimen@gmail.com>

•   Rob Hoelz <rob@hoelz.ro>

•   Robin Smidsrød <robin@smidsrod.no>

•   Roy Ivy III <rivy@cpan.org>

•   Shawn M Moore <sartak@gmail.com>

•   Shlomi Fish <shlomif@shlomifish.org>

•   Shoichi Kaji <skaji@cpan.org>

•   Smylers <Smylers@stripey.com>

•   Steffen Schwigon <ss5@renormalist.net>

•   Steven Haryanto <stevenharyanto@gmail.com>

•   Tatsuhiko Miyagawa <miyagawa@bulknews.net>

•   Upasana Shukla <me@upasana.me>

•   Van de Bugger <van.de.bugger@gmail.com>

•   Vyacheslav Matjukhin <mmcleric@yandex-team.ru>

•   Yanick Champoux <yanick@babyl.dyndns.org>

•   Yuval Kogman <nothingmuch@woobling.org>

COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE
This software is copyright (c) 2026 by Ricardo SIGNES.

This is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as the Perl 5 programming language system itself.