Including files in pm modul - perl

Question

I am totally new to Perl/Fastcgi.
I have some pm-modules to which will have to add a lot of scripts and over time it will grow and grow. Hence, I need a structure which makes the admin easier.
So, I want to create files in some kind of directory structure which I can include. I want the files that I include will be exaclty like if the text were written in the file where I do the include.
I have tried 'do', 'use' and 'require'. The actual file I want to include is in one of the directories Perl is looking in. (verified using perl -V)
I have tried within and outside BEGIN {}.
How do I do this? Is it possible at all including pm files in pm files? Does it have to be pm-files I include or can it be any extension?
I have tried several ways, included below is my last try.
Config.pm
package Kernel::Config;
sub Load {
#other activities
require 'severalnines.pm';
#other activities
}
1;
severalnines.pm
# Filter Queues
$Self->{TicketAcl}->{'ACL-hide-queues'} = {
Properties => {
},
PossibleNot => {Ticket => { Queue =>
['[RegExp]^*'] },
},
};
1;
I'm not getting any errors in the Apache's error_log related to this. Still, the code is not recognized like it would be if I put it in the Config.pm file.
I am not about to start programming a lot, just do some admin in a 3rd party application. Still, I have searched around trying to learn how it works with including files. Is the severalnines.pm considered to be a perl module and do I need to use a program like h2xs, or similar, in order to "create" the module (told you, totally newbie...)?
Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

I usually create my own module prefix -- named after the project or the place I worked. For example, you might put everything under Mu with modules named like Mu::Foo and Mu::Bar. Use multiple modules (don't try to keep everything in one single file) and name your modules with the *.pm suffix.
Then, if the Mu directory is in the same directory as your programs, you only need to do this:
use Mu::Foo;
use Mu::Bar;
If they're in another directory, you can do this:
use lib qw(/path/to/other/directory);
use Mu::Foo;
use Mu::Bar;
Is it possible at all including pm files in pm files?
Why certainly yes.
So, I want to create files in some kind of directory structure which I can include. I want the files that I include will be exaclty like if the text were written in the file where I do the include.
That's a bad, bad idea. You are better off using the package mechanism. That is, declare each of your module as a separate package name. Otherwise, your module will have a variable or function in it that your script will override, and you'll never, ever know it.
In Perl, you can reference variables in your modules by prefixing it with the module name. (Such as File::Find does. For example $File::Find::Name is the found file's name. This doesn't pollute your namespace.
If you really want your module's functions and variables in your namespace, look at the #EXPORT_OK list variable in Exporter. This is a list of all the variables and functions that you'd like to import into your module's namespace. However, it's not automatic, you have to list them next to your use statement. That way, you're more likely to know about them. Using Exporter isn't too difficult. In your module, you'd put:
package Mu::Foo;
use Exporter qw(import);
our EXPORT_OK = qw(convert $fundge #ribitz);
Then, in your program, you'd put:
use Mu::Foo qw(convert $fundge #ribitz);
Now you can access convert, $fundge and #ribitz as if they were part of your main program. However, you now have documented that you're pulling in these subroutines and variables from Mu::Foo.
(If you think this is complex, be glad I didn't tell you that you really should use Object Oriented methods in your Modules. That's really the best way to do it.)

Answer 2

if ( 'I want the files that I include will be exactly like if the text were written in the file where I do the include.'
&& 'have to add a lot of scripts and over time it will grow and grow') {
warn 'This is probably a bad idea because you are not creating any kind of abstraction!';
}
Take a look at Exporter, it will probably give you a good solution!