SYNOPSIS
               # with arguments and no switches, installs specified modules
               cpan module_name [ module_name ... ]

               # with switches, installs modules with extra behavior
               cpan [-cfimt] module_name [ module_name ... ]

               # without arguments, starts CPAN.pm shell
               cpan

               # without arguments, but some switches
               cpan [-ahrvACDLO]

DESCRIPTION
       This script provides a command interface (not a shell) to CPAN. At the
       moment it uses CPAN.pm to do the work, but it is not a one-shot command
       runner for CPAN.pm.

   Meta Options
       These options are mutually exclusive, and the script processes them in
       this order: [hvCAar].  Once the script finds one, it ignores the
       others, and then exits after it finishes the task.  The script ignores
       any other command line options.

       -a  Creates the CPAN.pm autobundle with CPAN::Shell->autobundle.

       -A module [ module ... ]
           Shows the primary maintainers for the specified modules

       -C module [ module ... ]
           Show the "Changes" files for the specified modules

       -D module [ module ... ]
           Show the module details. This prints one line for each out-of-date
           module (meaning, modules locally installed but have newer versions
           on CPAN).  Each line has three columns: module name, local version,
           and CPAN version.

       -L author [ author ... ]
           List the modules by the specified authors.

       -h  Prints a help message.

       -O  Show the out-of-date modules.

       -r  Recompiles dynamically loaded modules with CPAN::Shell->recompile.

       -v  Print the script version and CPAN.pm version.

   Module options
       These options are mutually exclusive, and the script processes them in
       alphabetical order. It only processes the first one it finds.

               cpan -h

               # print the version numbers
               cpan -v

               # create an autobundle
               cpan -a

               # recompile modules
               cpan -r

               # install modules ( sole -i is optional )
               cpan -i Netscape::Booksmarks Business::ISBN

               # force install modules ( must use -i )
               cpan -fi CGI::Minimal URI

TO DO
BUGS
       * none noted

SEE ALSO
       Most behaviour, including environment variables and configuration,
       comes directly from CPAN.pm.

SOURCE AVAILABILITY
       This source is part of a SourceForge project which always has the
       latest sources in CVS, as well as all of the previous releases.

               http://sourceforge.net/projects/brian-d-foy/

       If, for some reason, I disappear from the world, one of the other
       members of the project can shepherd this module appropriately.

CREDITS
       Japheth Cleaver added the bits to allow a forced install (-f).

       Jim Brandt suggest and provided the initial implementation for the up-
       to-date and Changes features.

       Adam Kennedy pointed out that exit() causes problems on Windows where
       this script ends up with a .bat extension

AUTHOR
       brian d foy, "<bdfoy@cpan.org>"

COPYRIGHT
       Copyright (c) 2001-2006, brian d foy, All Rights Reserved.

       You may redistribute this under the same terms as Perl itself.