---
name: "Test::Pod"
section: "3pm"
platform: "linux"
package: "perl-test-pod"
version: "1.52-12"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/Test::Pod"
---

# Test::Pod(3pm)

check for POD errors in files

## NAME

Test::Pod - check for POD errors in files

## VERSION

Version 1.52

## SYNOPSIS

`"Test::Pod"` lets you check the validity of a POD file, and report its results in standard `"Test::Simple"` fashion.

```
    use Test::Pod tests => $num_tests;
    pod_file_ok( $file, "Valid POD file" );
```

Module authors can include the following in a *t/pod.t* file and have `"Test::Pod"` automatically find and check all POD files in a module distribution:

```
    use Test::More;
    eval "use Test::Pod 1.00";
    plan skip_all => "Test::Pod 1.00 required for testing POD" if $@;
    all_pod_files_ok();
```

You can also specify a list of files to check, using the `all_pod_files()` function supplied:

```
    use strict;
    use Test::More;
    eval "use Test::Pod 1.00";
    plan skip_all => "Test::Pod 1.00 required for testing POD" if $@;
    my @poddirs = qw( blib script );
    all_pod_files_ok( all_pod_files( @poddirs ) );
```

Or even (if you're running under Apache::Test):

```
    use strict;
    use Test::More;
    eval "use Test::Pod 1.00";
    plan skip_all => "Test::Pod 1.00 required for testing POD" if $@;
    my @poddirs = qw( blib script );
    use File::Spec::Functions qw( catdir updir );
    all_pod_files_ok(
        all_pod_files( map { catdir updir, $_ } @poddirs )
    );
```

## DESCRIPTION

Check POD files for errors or warnings in a test file, using `"Pod::Simple"` to do the heavy lifting.

## FUNCTIONS

### pod\_file\_ok( FILENAME\[, TESTNAME \] )

`pod_file_ok()` will okay the test if the POD parses correctly.  Certain conditions are not reported yet, such as a file with no pod in it at all.

When it fails, `pod_file_ok()` will show any pod checking errors as diagnostics.

The optional second argument TESTNAME is the name of the test.  If it is omitted, `pod_file_ok()` chooses a default test name "POD test for FILENAME".

### all\_pod\_files\_ok( \[@entries\] )

Checks all the files under `@entries` for valid POD. It runs **all\_pod\_files()** on directories and assumes everything else to be a file to be tested. It calls the `plan()` function for you (one test for each file), so you can't have already called `"plan"`.

If `@entries` is empty or not passed, the function finds all POD files in files in the *blib* directory if it exists, or the *lib* directory if not. A POD file matches the conditions specified below in "all\_pod\_files".

If you're testing a module, just make a *t/pod.t*:

```
    use Test::More;
    eval "use Test::Pod 1.00";
    plan skip_all => "Test::Pod 1.00 required for testing POD" if $@;
    all_pod_files_ok();
```

Returns true if all pod files are ok, or false if any fail.

### all\_pod\_files( \[@dirs\] )

Returns a list of all the POD files in *@dirs* and in directories below. If no directories are passed, it defaults to *blib* if *blib* exists, or else *lib* if not. Skips any files in *CVS*, *.svn*, *.git* and similar directories. See `%Test::Pod::ignore_dirs` for a list of them.

A POD file is:

- •

  Any file that ends in *.pl*, *.PL*, *.pm*, *.pod*, *.psgi* or *.t*.

- •

  Any file that has a first line with a shebang and "perl" on it.

- •

  Any file that ends in *.bat* and has a first line with "--\*-Perl-\*--" on it.

The order of the files returned is machine-dependent.  If you want them sorted, you'll have to sort them yourself.

## SUPPORT

This module is managed in an open GitHub repository \<http://github.com/perl-pod/test-pod/\>. Feel free to fork and contribute, or to clone \<git://github.com/perl-pod/test-pod.git\> and send patches!

Found a bug? Please post \<http://github.com/perl-pod/test-pod/issues\> or email \<mailto:bug-test-pod@rt.cpan.org\> a report!

## AUTHORS

- David E. Wheeler \<david@justatheory.com\>

  Current maintainer.

- Andy Lester "\<andy at petdance.com\>"

  Maintainer emeritus.

- brian d foy

  Original author.

## ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thanks brian d foy for the original code, and to these folks for contributions:

- •

  Andy Lester

- •

  David E. Wheeler

- •

  Paul Miller

- •

  Peter Edwards

- •

  Luca Ferrari

## COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE

Copyright 2006-2010, Andy Lester; 2010-2015 David E. Wheeler. Some Rights Reserved.

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