# phpman > info > Exporter::Lite Exporter::[Lite(3pm)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/Lite/3pm/markdown) User Contributed Perl Documentation Exporter::[Lite(3pm)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/Lite/3pm/markdown) NAME [Exporter::Lite](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Exporter%3A%3ALite/markdown) - lightweight exporting of functions and variables SYNOPSIS package Foo; use [Exporter::Lite](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Exporter%3A%3ALite/markdown); our @EXPORT = qw($This That); # default exports our @EXPORT_OK = qw(@Left %Right); # optional exports Then in code using the module: use Foo; # $This and &That are imported here You have to explicitly ask for optional exports: use Foo qw/ @Left %Right /; DESCRIPTION [Exporter::Lite](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Exporter%3A%3ALite/markdown) is an alternative to Exporter, intended to provide a lightweight subset of the most commonly-used functionality. It supports "import()", @EXPORT and @EXPORT_OK and not a whole lot else. Unlike Exporter, it is not necessary to inherit from [Exporter::Lite](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Exporter%3A%3ALite/markdown); Ie you don't need to write: @ISA = qw([Exporter::Lite](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Exporter%3A%3ALite/markdown)); [Exporter::Lite](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Exporter%3A%3ALite/markdown) simply exports its import() function into your namespace. This might be called a "mix-in" or a "role". Setting up a module to export its variables and functions is simple: package [My::Module](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/My%3A%3AModule/markdown); use [Exporter::Lite](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Exporter%3A%3ALite/markdown); our @EXPORT = qw($Foo bar); Functions and variables listed in the @EXPORT package variable are automatically exported if you use the module and don't explicitly list any imports. Now, when you "use [My::Module](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/My%3A%3AModule/markdown)", $Foo and "bar()" will show up. Optional exports are listed in the @EXPORT_OK package variable: package [My::Module](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/My%3A%3AModule/markdown); use [Exporter::Lite](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Exporter%3A%3ALite/markdown); our @EXPORT_OK = qw($Foo bar); When [My::Module](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/My%3A%3AModule/markdown) is used, $Foo and "bar()" will not show up, unless you explicitly ask for them: use [My::Module](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/My%3A%3AModule/markdown) qw($Foo bar); Note that when you specify one or more functions or variables to import, then you must also explicitly list any of the default symbols you want to use. So if you have an exporting module: package Games; our @EXPORT = qw/ pacman defender /; our @EXPORT_OK = qw/ galaga centipede /; Then if you want to use both "pacman" and "galaga", then you'd write: use Games qw/ pacman galaga /; Methods [Export::Lite](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Export%3A%3ALite/markdown) has one public method, import(), which is called automatically when your modules is use()'d. In normal usage you don't have to worry about this at all. import [Some::Module](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Some%3A%3AModule/markdown)->import; [Some::Module](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Some%3A%3AModule/markdown)->import(@symbols); Works just like "[Exporter::import](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Exporter%3A%3Aimport/markdown)()" excepting it only honors @[Some::Module::EXPORT](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Some%3A%3AModule%3A%3AEXPORT/markdown) and @[Some::Module::EXPORT_OK](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Some%3A%3AModule%3A%3AEXPORTOK/markdown). The given @symbols are exported to the current package provided they are in @[Some::Module::EXPORT](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Some%3A%3AModule%3A%3AEXPORT/markdown) or @[Some::Module::EXPORT_OK](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Some%3A%3AModule%3A%3AEXPORTOK/markdown). Otherwise an exception is thrown (ie. the program dies). If @symbols is not given, everything in @[Some::Module::EXPORT](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Some%3A%3AModule%3A%3AEXPORT/markdown) is exported. DIAGNOSTICS '"%s" is not exported by the %s module' Attempted to import a symbol which is not in @EXPORT or @EXPORT_OK. 'Can\'t export symbol: %s' Attempted to import a symbol of an unknown type (ie. the leading $@% salad wasn't recognized). SEE ALSO Exporter is the grandaddy of all Exporter modules, and bundled with Perl itself, unlike the rest of the modules listed here. [Attribute::Exporter](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Attribute%3A%3AExporter/markdown) defines attributes which you use to mark which subs and variables you want to export, and how. [Exporter::Simple](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Exporter%3A%3ASimple/markdown) also uses attributes to control the export of functions and variables from your module. [Const::Exporter](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Const%3A%3AExporter/markdown) makes it easy to create a module that exports constants. [Constant::Exporter](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Constant%3A%3AExporter/markdown) is another module that makes it easy to create modules that define and export constants. [Sub::Exporter](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Sub%3A%3AExporter/markdown) is a "sophisticated exporter for custom-built routines"; it lets you provide generators that can be used to customise what gets imported when someone uses your module. [Exporter::Tiny](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Exporter%3A%3ATiny/markdown) provides the same features as [Sub::Exporter](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Sub%3A%3AExporter/markdown), but relying only on core dependencies. [Exporter::Shiny](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Exporter%3A%3AShiny/markdown) is a shortcut for [Exporter::Tiny](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Exporter%3A%3ATiny/markdown) that provides a more concise notation for providing optional exports. [Exporter::Declare](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Exporter%3A%3ADeclare/markdown) provides syntactic sugar to make the export status of your functions part of their declaration. Kind of. [AppConfig::Exporter](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/AppConfig%3A%3AExporter/markdown) lets you export part of an AppConfig-based configuration. [Exporter::Lexical](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Exporter%3A%3ALexical/markdown) lets you export lexical subs from your module. [Constant::Export::Lazy](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Constant%3A%3AExport%3A%3ALazy/markdown) lets you write a module that exports function- style constants, which are instantiated lazily. [Exporter::Auto](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Exporter%3A%3AAuto/markdown) will export everything from your module that it thinks is a public function (name doesn't start with an underscore). [Class::Exporter](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Class%3A%3AExporter/markdown) lets you export class methods as regular subroutines. Xporter is like Exporter, but with persistent defaults and auto-ISA. REPOSITORY <> AUTHORS Michael G Schwern <> LICENSE This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself. See perl v5.22.1 2016-01-16 Exporter::[Lite(3pm)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/Lite/3pm/markdown)