--- name: "Module::Load" section: "3p" platform: "openbsd" package: "man" version: "8.0-current-20261101" release: "OpenBSD 8.0-current (2026-11-01)" platforms: ["openbsd"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/Module::Load" --- # Module::Load(3p) runtime require of both modules and files ## NAME Module::Load - runtime require of both modules and files ## SYNOPSIS ``` use Module::Load; my $module = 'Data::Dumper'; load Data::Dumper; # loads that module, but not import any functions # -> cannot use 'Dumper' function load 'Data::Dumper'; # ditto load $module # tritto autoload Data::Dumper; # loads that module and imports the default functions # -> can use 'Dumper' function my $script = 'some/script.pl' load $script; load 'some/script.pl'; # use quotes because of punctuations load thing; # try 'thing' first, then 'thing.pm' load CGI, ':all'; # like 'use CGI qw[:standard]' ``` ## DESCRIPTION `"Module::Load"` eliminates the need to know whether you are trying to require either a file or a module. If you consult `"perldoc -f require"` you will see that `"require"` will behave differently when given a bareword or a string. In the case of a string, `"require"` assumes you are wanting to load a file. But in the case of a bareword, it assumes you mean a module. This gives nasty overhead when you are trying to dynamically require modules at runtime, since you will need to change the module notation (`"Acme::Comment"`) to a file notation fitting the particular platform you are on. `"Module::Load"` eliminates the need for this overhead and will just DWYM. ### Difference between "load" and "autoload" `"Module::Load"` imports the two functions - `"load"` and `"autoload"` `"autoload"` imports the default functions automatically, but `"load"` do not import any functions. `"autoload"` is usable under `"BEGIN{};"`. Both the functions can import the functions that are specified. Following codes are same. ``` load File::Spec::Functions, qw/splitpath/; autoload File::Spec::Functions, qw/splitpath/; ``` ## FUNCTIONS - load Loads a specified module. See "Rules" for detailed loading rule. - autoload Loads a specified module and imports the default functions. Except importing the functions, 'autoload' is same as 'load'. - load\_remote Loads a specified module to the specified package. ``` use Module::Load 'load_remote'; my $pkg = 'Other::Package'; load_remote $pkg, 'Data::Dumper'; # load a module to 'Other::Package' # but do not import 'Dumper' function ``` A module for loading must be quoted. Except specifing the package and quoting module name, 'load\_remote' is same as 'load'. - autoload\_remote Loads a specified module and imports the default functions to the specified package. ``` use Module::Load 'autoload_remote'; my $pkg = 'Other::Package'; autoload_remote $pkg, 'Data::Dumper'; # load a module to 'Other::Package' # and imports 'Dumper' function ``` A module for loading must be quoted. Except specifing the package and quoting module name, 'autoload\_remote' is same as 'load\_remote'. ## Rules All functions have the following rules to decide what it thinks you want: - • If the argument has any characters in it other than those matching `"\w"`, `":"` or `"'"`, it must be a file - • If the argument matches only `"[\w:']"`, it must be a module - • If the argument matches only `"\w"`, it could either be a module or a file. We will try to find `"file.pm"` first in `@INC` and if that fails, we will try to find `"file"` in `@INC`. If both fail, we die with the respective error messages. ## IMPORTS THE FUNCTIONS 'load' and 'autoload' are imported by default, but 'load\_remote' and 'autoload\_remote' are not imported. To use 'load\_remote' or 'autoload\_remote', specify at 'use'. - "load","autoload","load\_remote","autoload\_remote" Imports the selected functions. ``` # imports 'load' and 'autoload' (default) use Module::Load; # imports 'autoload' only use Module::Load 'autoload'; # imports 'autoload' and 'autoload_remote', but don't import 'load'; use Module::Load qw/autoload autoload_remote/; ``` - 'all' Imports all the functions. ``` use Module::Load 'all'; # imports load, autoload, load_remote, autoload_remote ``` - '','none',undef Not import any functions (`"load"` and `"autoload"` are not imported). ``` use Module::Load ''; use Module::Load 'none'; use Module::Load undef; ``` ## Caveats Because of a bug in perl (#19213), at least in version 5.6.1, we have to hardcode the path separator for a require on Win32 to be `"/"`, like on Unix rather than the Win32 `"\"`. Otherwise perl will not read its own `%INC` accurately double load files if they are required again, or in the worst case, core dump. `"Module::Load"` cannot do implicit imports, only explicit imports. (in other words, you always have to specify explicitly what you wish to import from a module, even if the functions are in that modules' `@EXPORT`) ## SEE ALSO Module::Runtime provides functions for loading modules, checking the validity of a module name, converting a module name to partial `".pm"` path, and related utility functions. "require" in perlfunc \ and "use" in perlfunc \. Mojo::Loader is a "class loader and plugin framework", and is included in the Mojolicious \ distribution. Module::Loader is a module for finding and loading modules in a given namespace, inspired by `"Mojo::Loader"`. ## ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thanks to Jonas B. Nielsen for making explicit imports work. ## BUG REPORTS Please report bugs or other issues to \. ## AUTHOR This module by Jos Boumans \. ## COPYRIGHT This library is free software; you may redistribute and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.