X-Git-Url: http://git.vpit.fr/?a=blobdiff_plain;f=README;h=de9502192868d947569efe4e648b007ceb2705af;hb=e407c4fcb511798d859e84809d1aaae9cafcae61;hp=880269e46da66b1c75e82674b06341158e6a4aac;hpb=2966b83e4eb41f8bd7f8c354e078bce07ced1fea;p=perl%2Fmodules%2Fautovivification.git diff --git a/README b/README index 880269e..de95021 100644 --- a/README +++ b/README @@ -2,28 +2,124 @@ NAME autovivification - Lexically disable autovivification. VERSION - Version 0.01 + Version 0.06 SYNOPSIS no autovivification; - my $x; - $x->{foo} = 1; # croaks + + my $hashref; + + my $a = $hashref->{key_a}; # $hashref stays undef + + if (exists $hashref->{option}) { # Still undef + ... + } + + delete $hashref->{old}; # Still undef again + + $hashref->{new} = $value; # Vivifies to { new => $value } DESCRIPTION + When an undefined variable is dereferenced, it gets silently upgraded to + an array or hash reference (depending of the type of the dereferencing). + This behaviour is called *autovivification* and usually does what you + mean (e.g. when you store a value) but it's sometimes unnatural or + surprising because your variables gets populated behind your back. This + is especially true when several levels of dereferencing are involved, in + which case all levels are vivified up to the last, or when it happens in + intuitively read-only constructs like "exists". + + This pragma lets you disable autovivification for some constructs and + optionally throws a warning or an error when it would have happened. + METHODS - "unimport" - Magically called when "no autovivification" is encountered. Turns the - module on. + "unimport @opts" + Magically called when "no autovivification" is encountered. Enables the + features given in @opts, which can be : + + * 'fetch' + + Turn off autovivification for rvalue dereferencing expressions, such + as "$value = $hashref->{key}[$idx]{$field}", "keys + %{$hashref->{key}}" or "values %{$hashref->{key}}". Starting from + perl 5.11, it also covers "keys" and "values" on array references. + When the expression would have autovivified, "undef" is returned for + a plain fetch, while "keys" and "values" return 0 in scalar context + and the empty list in list context. + + * 'exists' + + Turn off autovivification for dereferencing expressions that are + parts of an "exists", such as "exists + $hashref->{key}[$idx]{$field}". '' is returned when the expression + would have autovivified. + + * 'delete' + + Turn off autovivification for dereferencing expressions that are + parts of a "delete", such as "delete $hashref->{key}[$idx]{$field}". + "undef" is returned when the expression would have autovivified. + + * 'store' - "import" - Magically called when "use autovivification" is encountered. Turns the - module off. + Turn off autovivification for lvalue dereferencing expressions, such + as "$hashref->{key}[$idx]{$field} = $value" or "for + ($hashref->{key}[$idx]{$field}) { ... }". An exception is thrown if + vivification is needed to store the value, which means that + effectively you can only assign to levels that are already defined + (in the example, this would require "$hashref->{key}[$idx]" to + already be a hash reference). + + * 'warn' + + Emit a warning when an autovivification is avoided. + + * 'strict' + + Throw an exception when an autovivification is avoided. + + Each call to "unimport" adds the specified features to the ones already + in use in the current lexical scope. + + When @opts is empty, it defaults to "qw/fetch exists delete/". + + "import @opts" + Magically called when "use autovivification" is encountered. Disables + the features given in @opts, which can be the same as for "unimport". + + Each call to "import" removes the specified features to the ones already + in use in the current lexical scope. + + When @opts is empty, it defaults to restoring the original Perl + autovivification behaviour. + +CONSTANTS + "A_THREADSAFE" + True iff the module could have been built with thread-safety features + enabled. This constant only has a meaning with your perl is threaded ; + otherwise, it'll always be false. + + "A_FORKSAFE" + True iff this module could have been built with fork-safety features + enabled. This will always be true except on Windows where it's false for + perl 5.10.0 and below . + +CAVEATS + The pragma doesn't apply when one dereferences the returned value of an + array or hash slice, as in "@array[$id]->{member}" or + @hash{$key}->{member}. This syntax is valid Perl, yet it's discouraged + as the slice is here useless since the dereferencing enforces scalar + context. If warnings are turned on, Perl will complain about one-element + slices. DEPENDENCIES perl 5.8. XSLoader (standard since perl 5.006). +SEE ALSO + perlref. + AUTHOR Vincent Pit, "", . @@ -44,8 +140,11 @@ SUPPORT Tests code coverage report is available at . +ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS + Matt S. Trout asked for it. + COPYRIGHT & LICENSE - Copyright 2009 Vincent Pit, all rights reserved. + Copyright 2009,2010 Vincent Pit, all rights reserved. This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.