To use Perl's CPAN <http://www.cpan.org>`_on Windows with `cygwin, you need to install some additional programs in cygwin. Run cygwin's setup.exe (I like clicking the "View" button to change the listing to Full, so I get an alphabetical list of the packages). Make sure that you install the following packages:

• perl (just in case you do not have it)
• gzip
• tar
• unzip
• make
• lynx
• wget
• ncftp
• gnupg

Open the Cygwin bash shell and enter:

perl -MCPAN -e shell

Accept the defaults, and you are good to go. Once in the CPAN shell, you can install modules with commands like:

install Date::Parse