X-Git-Url: http://git.vpit.fr/?p=perl%2Fmodules%2Fautovivification.git;a=blobdiff_plain;f=README;h=7d750e7808d1437e2e9f1ff45299340f0d8e37cf;hp=880269e46da66b1c75e82674b06341158e6a4aac;hb=455d083e91062cc7e742f828db98303bc83bbc3b;hpb=2966b83e4eb41f8bd7f8c354e078bce07ced1fea diff --git a/README b/README index 880269e..7d750e7 100644 --- a/README +++ b/README @@ -2,28 +2,160 @@ NAME autovivification - Lexically disable autovivification. VERSION - Version 0.01 + Version 0.11 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 may be 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. + no autovivification; # defaults to qw + no autovivification qw; + no autovivification 'warn'; + no autovivification 'strict'; + + Magically called when "no autovivification @opts" is encountered. + Enables the features given in @opts, which can be : + + * 'fetch' + + Turns off autovivification for rvalue dereferencing expressions, + such as : + + $value = $arrayref->[$idx] + $value = $hashref->{$key} + keys %$hashref + values %$hashref + + Starting from perl 5.11, it also covers "keys" and "values" on array + references : + + keys @$arrayref + values @$arrayref + + 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' + + Turns off autovivification for dereferencing expressions that are + parts of an "exists", such as : + + exists $arrayref->[$idx] + exists $hashref->{$key} + + '' is returned when the expression would have autovivified. + + * 'delete' + + Turns off autovivification for dereferencing expressions that are + parts of a "delete", such as : + + delete $arrayref->[$idx] + delete $hashref->{$key} + + "undef" is returned when the expression would have autovivified. + + * 'store' + + Turns off autovivification for lvalue dereferencing expressions, + such as : + + $arrayref->[$idx] = $value + $hashref->{$key} = $value + for ($arrayref->[$idx]) { ... } + for ($hashref->{$key}) { ... } + function($arrayref->[$idx]) + function($hashref->{$key}) + + 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 $arrayref (resp. + $hashref) to already be an array (resp. hash) reference. + + * 'warn' + + Emits a warning when an autovivification is avoided. + + * 'strict' + + Throws an exception when an autovivification is avoided. + + Each call to "unimport" adds the specified features to the ones already + in use in the current lexical scope. + + When @opts is empty, it defaults to "qw". "import" - Magically called when "use autovivification" is encountered. Turns the - module off. + use autovivification; # default Perl behaviour + use autovivification qw; + + Magically called when "use autovivification @opts" is encountered. + Disables the features given in @opts, which can be the same as for + "unimport". + + Each call to "import" removes the specified features to the ones already + in use in the current lexical scope. + + When @opts is empty, it defaults to restoring the original Perl + autovivification behaviour. + +CONSTANTS + "A_THREADSAFE" + True if and only if the module could have been built with thread-safety + features enabled. This constant only has a meaning when your perl is + threaded, otherwise it will always be false. + + "A_FORKSAFE" + True if and only if this module could have been built with fork-safety + features enabled. This constant will always be true, except on Windows + where it is false for perl 5.10.0 and below. + +CAVEATS + The pragma doesn't apply when one dereferences the returned value of an + array or hash slice, as in "@array[$id]->{member}" or + @hash{$key}->{member}. This syntax is valid Perl, yet it is 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. + perl 5.8.3. + + A C compiler. This module may happen to build with a C++ compiler as + well, but don't rely on it, as no guarantee is made in this regard. XSLoader (standard since perl 5.006). +SEE ALSO + perlref. + AUTHOR Vincent Pit, "", . @@ -44,8 +176,11 @@ 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 2009,2010,2011,2012,2013 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.