ExtUtils::Command(3pm) Perl Programmers Reference Guide ExtUtils::Command(3pm) # [NAME](#NAME) ExtUtils::Command - utilities to replace common UNIX commands in Makefiles etc. # [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS) ``` perl -MExtUtils::Command -e cat files... > destination perl -MExtUtils::Command -e mv source... destination perl -MExtUtils::Command -e cp source... destination perl -MExtUtils::Command -e touch files... perl -MExtUtils::Command -e rm_f files... perl -MExtUtils::Command -e rm_rf directories... perl -MExtUtils::Command -e mkpath directories... perl -MExtUtils::Command -e eqtime source destination perl -MExtUtils::Command -e test_f file perl -MExtUtils::Command -e test_d directory perl -MExtUtils::Command -e chmod mode files... ... ``` # [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION) The module is used to replace common UNIX commands. In all cases the functions work from @ARGV rather than taking arguments. This makes them easier to deal with in Makefiles. Call them like this: ``` perl -MExtUtils::Command -e some_command some files to work on ``` and *NOT* like this: ``` perl -MExtUtils::Command -e 'some_command qw(some files to work on)' ``` For that use Shell::Command. Filenames with * and ? will be glob expanded. ## [FUNCTIONS](#FUNCTIONS) [cat](#cat) ``` cat file ... ``` Concatenates all files mentioned on command line to STDOUT. [eqtime](#eqtime) ``` eqtime source destination ``` Sets modified time of destination to that of source. [rm\_rf](#rm_rf) ``` rm_rf files or directories ... ``` Removes files and directories - recursively (even if readonly) [rm\_f](#rm_f) ``` rm_f file ... ``` Removes files (even if readonly) [touch](#touch) ``` touch file ... ``` Makes files exist, with current timestamp [mv](#mv) ``` mv source_file destination_file mv source_file source_file destination_dir ``` Moves source to destination. Multiple sources are allowed if destination is an existing directory. Returns true if all moves succeeded, false otherwise. [cp](#cp) ``` cp source_file destination_file cp source_file source_file destination_dir ``` Copies sources to the destination. Multiple sources are allowed if destination is an existing directory. Returns true if all copies succeeded, false otherwise. [chmod](#chmod) ``` chmod mode files ... ``` Sets UNIX like permissions 'mode' on all the files. e.g. 0666 [mkpath](#mkpath) ``` mkpath directory ... ``` Creates directories, including any parent directories. [test\_f](#test_f) ``` test_f file ``` Tests if a file exists. *Exits* with 0 if it does, 1 if it does not (ie. shell's idea of true and false). [test\_d](#test_d) ``` test_d directory ``` Tests if a directory exists. *Exits* with 0 if it does, 1 if it does not (ie. shell's idea of true and false). [dos2unix](#dos2unix) ``` dos2unix files or dirs ... ``` Converts DOS and OS/2 linefeeds to Unix style recursively. # [SEE ALSO](#SEE_ALSO) Shell::Command which is these same functions but take arguments normally. # [AUTHOR](#AUTHOR) Nick Ing-Simmons "ni-s@cpan.org" Maintained by Michael G Schwern "schwern@pobox.com" within the ExtUtils-MakeMaker package and, as a separate CPAN package, by Randy Kobes "r.kobes@uwinnipeg.ca". 2026-10-21 perl v5.44.0 --- Document: ExtUtils::Command(3pm) from perl 5.44.0-r2 (Chainguard OS) Source: https://github.com/Perl/perl5.git