---
name: "Devel::PatchPerl::Hints"
section: "3pm"
platform: "linux"
package: "perl-devel-patchperl"
version: "2.14-2"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/Devel::PatchPerl::Hints"
---

# Devel::PatchPerl::Hints(3pm)

replacement 'hints' files

## NAME

Devel::PatchPerl::Hints - replacement 'hints' files

## VERSION

version 2.14

## SYNOPSIS

```
  use Devel::PatchPerl::Hints;
  if ( my $content = Devel::PatchPerl::Hints->hint_file() ) {
    chmod 0644, 'hints/netbsd.sh' or die "$!";
    open my $hints, '>', 'hints/netbsd.sh' or die "$!";
    print $hints $content;
    close $hints;
  }
  # Get a list of OS for which we have hints
  my @os = Devel::PatchPerl::Hints->hints();
```

## DESCRIPTION

Sometimes there is a problem with Perls `"hints"` file for a particular perl port. This module provides fixed `"hints"` files encoded using `"MIME::Base64"`.

## FUNCTION

The function is exported, but has to implicitly imported into the requesting package.

```
  use Devel::PatchPerl::Hints qw[hint_file];
```

It may also be called as a class method:

```
  use Devel::PatchPerl::Hints;
  my $content = Devel::PatchPerl::Hints->hint_file();
```

- "hint\_file"

  Takes an optional argument which is the OS name ( as would be returned by `$^O` ). By default it will use `$^O`.

  In a scalar context, Will return the decoded content of the `"hints"` file suitable for writing straight to a file handle or undef list if there isn't an applicable `"hints"` file for the given or derived OS.

  If called in a list context, will return a list, the first item will be the name of the `"hints"` file that will need to be amended, the second item will be a string with the decoded content of the `"hints"` file suitable for writing straight to a file handle. Otherwise an empty list will be returned.

- "hints"

  Takes no arguments, returns a list of OS names for which there are `"hints"` files.

## AUTHOR

Chris Williams \<chris@bingosnet.co.uk\>

## COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE

This software is copyright (c) 2025 by Chris Williams and Marcus Holland-Moritz.

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