PEAR is a code repository for PHP extensions and PHP library code
inspired by TeX's CTAN and Perl's CPAN.

The purpose of PEAR is:

	* to provide a consistent means for library code authors to
	  share their code with other developers;

	* to give the PHP community an infrastructure for sharing code;

	* to define standards that help developers write portable and
	  reusable code;

	* to provide tools for code maintenance and distribution.

PEAR comes bundled with PHP4. However, since it is a rapidly evolving
target, not everyone who has a workable version of PHP4 has a recent
enough PEAR installation.

WWW: http://pear.php.net/