create-perl-distribution

name	create-perl-distribution
description	Scaffold a new Perl CPAN distribution following the [@Author::GETTY] conventions — dist.ini, cpanfile, Changes, README.md, lib/, t/, .gitignore. Loaded automatically by create-software when a Perl project is detected; also callable directly for polishing existing dists.
user-invocable	true
allowed-tools	Read, Write, Edit, Bash, Glob, Grep

create-perl-distribution

Create or polish a Perl distribution matching Getty's workspace conventions.

Inputs the skill expects to resolve before writing

What	Resolution order
dist	dash-form (WWW-Foo) — from user arg or from dir name under ~/dev/perl/p5-*
module	colon-form (WWW::Foo) — derived from dist by s/-/::/g
abstract	one-line # ABSTRACT: from the first non-empty existing lib/**/*.pm, else ask
author	Torsten Raudssus <[e-mail]>
copyright_holder	Torsten Raudssus <[e-mail]> L<https://raudssus.de/>
copyright_year	current year
license	Perl_5
irc	search sibling ~/dev/perl/p5-*/dist.ini for an existing irc = line in the same topic cluster; if none found, ask the user (never make one up)

Sibling reference

Before writing, read one existing sibling dist that is closest in topic (e.g. for p5-www-openbao look at ~/dev/perl/p5-www-firecrawl/ because both are HTTP-client WWW-* packages). Match its layout exactly:

• dist.ini
• cpanfile (split on test / on develop if the sibling does)
• Changes ({{$NEXT}} marker + one 0.001 entry with a bullet list)
• README.md (Synopsis → Description → one example per public method → License)
• .gitignore (copy sibling's, substituting the dist name in the build-dir ignore line)
• t/00-load.t using Test::LoadAllModules OR use_ok — match what the sibling uses
• Any additional t/NN-*.t the author convention calls for (often 10-*, 20-* topical tests)

Do NOT diverge from the sibling's style even if it feels outdated. Workspace consistency beats "modern best practice."

Templates

Fallback templates (used only when no suitable sibling exists) live at ~/.claude/skills/create-software/templates/perl-distribution/: dist.ini, cpanfile, Changes, README.md, lib_Module.pm, t_00-load.t, t_01-basic.t. Placeholders use {{$name}} — substitute with sed or equivalent. Rename lib_Module.pm → lib/<Path>/<Name>.pm and t_*.t → t/*.t.

Handcheck rules

• Author line must be [e-mail] — only the CPAN email, no name with valid email + website. Refuse to fabricate either.
• Copyright year in dist.ini and Changes must match.
• IRC channel is optional but, if included, must be a real channel. Ask rather than invent.
• Never write our $VERSION = ... into lib/*.pm — [@Author::GETTY] injects it from the Changes file.

After writing

Run dzil test inside the dist directory and surface the output. Do NOT dzil release unless the user explicitly asks.

Related

• create-software — parent orchestrator; loads this skill for Perl projects.
• perl-release-dist-ini — loaded when editing an existing dist.ini.
• perl-release-author-getty — loaded when releasing.
• perl-core — Getty's house Perl style rules.