I like search.cpan.org in the most part. However, one of the things that annoys me about it is that it ignores CPAN indices. CPAN indices are the things that tell you what module is in what distribution, what distribution is the latest version of a module and who the authors are. More importantly, the indices are used by CPAN.pm and CPANPLUS.
So it annoys me when search.cpan.org ignores the CPAN indices. For example, I was looking for a quick module to find the machine's IP address, and I find Sys::HostIP. Looks neat, so I download it and test it and the module doesn't work like the docs say it should. This is because search.cpan.org says that Jonathan Schatz's Sys-HostIP-1.3.1 is Sys-HostIP on CPAN. However, the CPAN indices don't agree. If you look at 02packages.details you'll see that what CPANPLUS actually installed for me was FIVE's Sys-HostIP-1.0. CPAN::Search::Lite gets it right, and even points it out in the FAQ.
I've pointed this out in a past, but I reckon it's worth a rant. search.cpan.org shows you things which aren't really CPAN and aren't what CPAN.pm or CPANPLUS will install. I recommend using CPAN ::Search::Lite or you will get confused.
Not open.
hex on 2005-07-27T15:44:08
Seriously, why is the code for search.cpan.org not open? It's stagnating. People are gagging to improve it but nothing is happening.
Re:Not open.
jacques on 2005-07-27T17:08:39
http://www.perlmonks.org/?node_id=472065
Re:Not open.
hex on 2005-07-27T18:26:27
Uh, what has that got to do with Graham not opening up the code for single most-used resource in the Perl universe?
aren't really CPAN?
itub on 2005-07-27T17:12:09
Everything in the CPAN archive (
ftp://cpan.org )
is CPAN, whether it's blessed by the indexes or not. I actually think that it's a good thing that search.cpan.org disregards the indexes and allows you to search more widely, because not all the good things are indexed. However, it wouldn't hurt if it told you somewhere "NOTE: This module is not indexed".
Re:aren't really CPAN?
sky on 2005-07-27T18:30:50
So the logical conclusion of your statement is that if I upload a package called DBI, then anyone searching on search.cpan.org should see that and download that? Nice back door possibility there!
Hrm....
hfb on 2005-07-28T12:30:23
I go away for a few days to get my fat rubbed and fed and I see this.
Graham isn't going to open the code as those who wish they had it, yet complain about the Net modules and their inscrutibility, would find this like sanskrit to English. Also posting about the gaping hole probably isn't going to goad Graham into fixing it any sooner. Why not post it onto
/. for fuck's sake, let's get on with seeing just how fast it can be destroyed.
You and Nick never did answer the question as to whether or not Randy's site suffers from the same problem as his code is open and, in fact, on CPAN. Dammit, I'm tired of saying this each and every time someone decides to stir shit and I'm quite happy I'm out of the hosting the focus of far too much misdirected perl community angst business.
Randy's code is open so go putz with it instead of whining about graham's code, which I am reasonably confident that a good 90% of perl turds couldn't read anyway. Build a better engine that's 100% url compatible with search.cpan and I'll be happy to redirect the dns elsewhere...not that I expect anyone will ever do it.
