File::Random Version 0.21
=========================
NAME
    File::Random - Perl module for random selecting of a file

INSTALLATION

The classic

    perl Makefile.PL
    make
    make test
    make install
    
will do this job.

SYNOPSIS
      use File::Random qw/:all/;
 
      my $fname  = random_file();

      my $fname2 = random_file(-dir => $dir);
  
      my $random_gif = random_file(-dir       => $dir,
                                   -check     => qr/\.gif$/,
                                   -recursive => 1,
                                   -follow => 1);
                                                           
      my $no_exe     = random_file(-dir   => $dir,
                                   -check => sub {! -x});
                                                           
      my @jokes_of_the_day = content_of_random_file(-dir => '/usr/lib/jokes');
      my $joke_of_the_day  = content_of_random_file(-dir => '/usr/lib/jokes');
      # or the shorter
      my $joke = corf(-di r => '/usr/lib/jokes');
  
      my $word_of_the_day = random_line('/usr/share/dict/words');
      my @three_words     = random_line('/usr/share/dict/words',3);
      # or
      my ($title,$speech,$conclusion) = random_line('/usr/share/dict/words');

DESCRIPTION
    This module simplifies the routine job of selecting a random file. (As
    you can find at CGI scripts).

    It's done, because it's boring (and errorprone), always to write
    something like

      my @files = (<*.*>);
      my $randf = $files[rand @files];
  
    or

      opendir DIR, " ... " or die " ... ";
      my @files = grep {-f ...} (readdir DIR);
      closedir DIR;
      my $randf = $files[rand @files];
 
    It also becomes very boring and very dangerous to write randomly
    selection for subdirectory searching with special check-routines.

    The simple standard job of selecting a random line from a file is
    implemented, too.

DEPENDENCIES
  This module requires these other modules and libraries:

    Want
  
  For the tests are also needed many more modules:

    Test::More
    Test::Exception
    Test::Class
    Set::Scalar
    File::Temp
    Test::Warn
    Test::ManyParams

  All these modules are needed only for the tests.
  You can work with the module even without them. 
  These modules are only needed for my test routines,
  not by the File::Random itself.
  (However, it's a good idea most to install most of the modules anyway).

COPYRIGHT
    This Program is free software. You can change or redistribute it under
    the same condition as Perl itself.

    Copyright (c) 2002, Janek Schleicher, <[email protected]>

AUTHOR
    Janek Schleicher, <[email protected]>

SEE ALSO
    Tie::Pick Data::Random Algorithm::Numerical::Sample