Install fails with Perl module Date::Calc

Question

I am trying to install the perl module Date::Calc version 6. It is part of gnuCalc and failed when installed with it. I chose to manually download Date::Calc and install it but it gave exactly the same errors which are shown below. Since Date::Calc is not limited to gnuCalc, I was hoping someone could point me in a direction to solve this.

I am on Windows 7 64bit. Perl is strawberry Perl ver 5.18.2002

Thanks in advance.

E:\Downloads\Date-Calc-6.3>perl Makefile.PL

*************************************************************
****** BEWARE: Use "make install UNINST=1" to install! ******
*************************************************************

Checking if your kit is complete...
Looks good
Generating a dmake-style Makefile
Writing Makefile for Date::Calc
Writing MYMETA.yml and MYMETA.json

E:\Downloads\Date-Calc-6.3>C:\strawberry\c\bin\dmake.exe
cp lib/Date/Calc/Object.pod blib\lib\Date\Calc\Object.pod
cp lib/Date/Calc.pm blib\lib\Date\Calc.pm
cp lib/Date/Calendar/Profiles.pod blib\lib\Date\Calendar\Profiles.pod
cp lib/Date/Calendar.pm blib\lib\Date\Calendar.pm
cp lib/Date/Calendar.pod blib\lib\Date\Calendar.pod
cp lib/Date/Calc/Object.pm blib\lib\Date\Calc\Object.pm
cp lib/Date/Calc/PP.pm blib\lib\Date\Calc\PP.pm
cp lib/Date/Calendar/Profiles.pm blib\lib\Date\Calendar\Profiles.pm
cp lib/Date/Calc/PP.pod blib\lib\Date\Calc\PP.pod
cp lib/Date/Calendar/Year.pod blib\lib\Date\Calendar\Year.pod
cp lib/Date/Calendar/Year.pm blib\lib\Date\Calendar\Year.pm
cp lib/Date/Calc.pod blib\lib\Date\Calc.pod

E:\Downloads\Date-Calc-6.3>C:\strawberry\c\bin\dmake.exe test
C:\strawberry\perl\bin\perl.exe "-MExtUtils::Command::MM" "-MTest::Harness" "-e"
 "undef *Test::Harness::Switches; test_harness(0, 'blib\lib', 'blib\arch')" t/*.
t
t/f000.t .. ok
t/f001.t .. ok
t/f002.t .. ok
t/f003.t .. ok
t/f004.t .. ok
t/f005.t .. ok
t/f006.t .. ok
t/f007.t .. ok
t/f008.t .. ok
t/f009.t .. ok
t/f010.t .. ok
t/f011.t .. ok
t/f012.t .. ok
t/f013.t .. ok
t/f014.t .. ok
t/f015.t .. ok
t/f016.t .. Failed 16/25 subtests
t/f017.t .. ok
t/f018.t .. ok
t/f019.t .. ok
t/f020.t .. ok
t/f021.t .. ok
t/f022.t .. ok
t/f023.t .. ok
t/f024.t .. ok
t/f025.t .. ok
t/f026.t .. ok
t/f027.t .. Failed 22/46 subtests
t/f028.t .. Failed 22/46 subtests
t/f029.t .. ok
t/f030.t .. ok
t/f031.t .. ok
t/f032.t .. ok
t/f033.t .. ok
t/f034.t .. ok
t/f035.t .. ok
t/f036.t .. ok
t/f037.t .. ok
t/m001.t .. ok
t/m002.t .. ok
t/m003.t .. ok
t/m004.t .. ok
t/m005.t .. ok
t/m006.t .. ok
t/m007.t .. ok
t/m008.t .. ok
t/m009.t .. ok
t/m010.t .. ok
t/m011.t .. ok
t/m012.t .. ok
t/m013.t .. ok

Test Summary Report
-------------------
t/f016.t (Wstat: 0 Tests: 25 Failed: 16)
  Failed tests:  1-4, 6-7, 9-12, 15-17, 21-23
t/f027.t (Wstat: 0 Tests: 46 Failed: 22)
  Failed tests:  7-15, 22, 24-27, 30-35, 44-45
t/f028.t (Wstat: 0 Tests: 46 Failed: 22)
  Failed tests:  7-15, 22, 24-27, 30, 32, 34-37, 44-45
Files=51, Tests=3381,  3 wallclock secs ( 0.20 usr +  0.01 sys =  0.22 CPU)
Result: FAIL
Failed 3/51 test programs. 60/3381 subtests failed.
dmake.exe:  Error code 255, while making 'test_dynamic'

Answer 1

Do not replace bad tests with good ones.

The purpose of these tests is to test. If there's a problem, you need to know about it, and not sweep it under the rug. Resolve the issue one way or another. Is there a problem with something on your system, or is this a problem with the test itself. If this is a problem with the test, does it still affect you? If this is a system problem, is this something you might run into? For example, let's say there's a test that checks for connectivity between your system and a Windows system. If you don't connect to Windows systems, maybe that particular test doesn't apply to you.

If you have a test failure, go to the MetaCPAN webpage for that module, and check the left hand side for issues to see if someone else is getting the same errors. (Bug #101232 for Date-Calc: Test suite started to fail since 2015-01-01 - Happy New Year!).

There's also a QA testers CPAN webpage, but it's down right now. The QA testers webpage will show you the various Perl versions, module versions, platforms, and show you which tests are failing on particular platforms on which versions. You might need to install an alternative version of the module.

Only once you've determined that the failed test doesn't necessarily apply to you, do a force install:

cpan> force install Date::Calc

This will run through the entire install, except that it will skip all testing. (Or maybe it still tests, but doesn't fail if a test fails.). The module will still fail on compiler errors, or if something can't get written to your system. It merely ignores tests.

This should be the last desperate attempt to get something installed. You've should have already resolved that the failed tests are bugs or not meaningful for you. Or, someone is standing beside you with a gun to your head saying, "Install that module, or I'll pull the trigger!".

---

Or, you can decide to heck with it, and simply use another module -- especially a module that's already included in the standard Perl distribution like Time::Piece. If this is a new Perl program, you might as well use Time::Piece since it's the official time calculation module for Perl.

Okay, it's hard to say whether something is official or not, but Time::Piece is included in all Perl installations since 5.10, and Date::Calc, although more popular, isn't. However, now that Time::Piece now part of the official install, it's more likely to be included on a system where you're running your Perl program. It also means that more people are testing it, and that more users are using it, and that bugs discovered are more likely to be fixed.

If this is a new Perl program you're writing, consider using Time::Piece instead of Date::Calc.