5 @EXPORT = qw(AUTOLOAD);
10 my %Cache; # private cache for all SelfLoader's client packages
12 # allow checking for valid ': attrlist' attachments
13 # (we use 'our' rather than 'my' here, due to the rather complex and buggy
14 # behaviour of lexicals with qr// and (??{$lex}) )
16 $nested = qr{ \( (?: (?> [^()]+ ) | (??{ $nested }) )* \
) }x
;
17 our $one_attr = qr{ (?> (?! \d) \w+ (?:$nested)? ) (?:\s*\:\s*|\s+(?!\:)) }x;
18 our $attr_list = qr{ \s* : \s* (?: $one_attr )* }x;
20 sub croak
{ require Carp
; goto &Carp
::croak
}
23 print STDERR
"SelfLoader::AUTOLOAD for $AUTOLOAD\n" if $DEBUG;
24 my $SL_code = $Cache{$AUTOLOAD};
25 my $save = $@
; # evals in both AUTOLOAD and _load_stubs can corrupt $@
27 # Maybe this pack had stubs before __DATA__, and never initialized.
28 # Or, this maybe an automatic DESTROY method call when none exists.
29 $AUTOLOAD =~ m/^(.*)::/;
30 SelfLoader
->_load_stubs($1) unless exists $Cache{"${1}::<DATA"};
31 $SL_code = $Cache{$AUTOLOAD};
32 $SL_code = "sub $AUTOLOAD { }"
33 if (!$SL_code and $AUTOLOAD =~ m/::DESTROY$/);
34 croak
"Undefined subroutine $AUTOLOAD" unless $SL_code;
36 print STDERR
"SelfLoader::AUTOLOAD eval: $SL_code\n" if $DEBUG;
44 defined(&$AUTOLOAD) || die "SelfLoader inconsistency error";
45 delete $Cache{$AUTOLOAD};
49 sub load_stubs
{ shift->_load_stubs((caller)[0]) }
52 # $endlines is used by Devel::SelfStubber to capture lines after __END__
53 my($self, $callpack, $endlines) = @_;
54 my $fh = \
*{"${callpack}::DATA"};
55 my $currpack = $callpack;
56 my($line,$name,@lines, @stubs, $protoype);
58 print STDERR
"SelfLoader::load_stubs($callpack)\n" if $DEBUG;
59 croak
("$callpack doesn't contain an __DATA__ token")
61 $Cache{"${currpack}::<DATA"} = 1; # indicate package is cached
64 while(defined($line = <$fh>) and $line !~ m/^__END__/) {
65 if ($line =~ m/^sub\s+([\w:]+)\s*((?:\([\\\$\@\%\&\*\;]*\))?(?:$attr_list)?)/) {
66 push(@stubs, $self->_add_to_cache($name, $currpack, \
@lines, $protoype));
69 if (index($1,'::') == -1) { # simple sub name
70 $name = "${currpack}::$1";
71 } else { # sub name with package
74 if (defined(&{"${1}::AUTOLOAD"})) {
75 \
&{"${1}::AUTOLOAD"} == \
&SelfLoader
::AUTOLOAD
||
76 die 'SelfLoader Error: attempt to specify Selfloading',
77 " sub $name in non-selfloading module $1";
79 $self->export($1,'AUTOLOAD');
82 } elsif ($line =~ m/^package\s+([\w:]+)/) { # A package declared
83 push(@stubs, $self->_add_to_cache($name, $currpack, \
@lines, $protoype));
84 $self->_package_defined($line);
88 $Cache{"${currpack}::<DATA"} = 1; # indicate package is cached
89 if (defined(&{"${1}::AUTOLOAD"})) {
90 \
&{"${1}::AUTOLOAD"} == \
&SelfLoader
::AUTOLOAD
||
91 die 'SelfLoader Error: attempt to specify Selfloading',
92 " package $currpack which already has AUTOLOAD";
94 $self->export($currpack,'AUTOLOAD');
100 if (defined($line) && $line =~ /^__END__/) { # __END__
101 unless ($line =~ /^__END__\s*DATA/) {
103 # Devel::SelfStubber would like us to capture the lines after
104 # __END__ so it can write out the entire file
110 push(@stubs, $self->_add_to_cache($name, $currpack, \
@lines, $protoype));
111 eval join('', @stubs) if @stubs;
116 my($self,$fullname,$pack,$lines, $protoype) = @_;
117 return () unless $fullname;
118 (require Carp
), Carp
::carp
("Redefining sub $fullname")
119 if exists $Cache{$fullname};
120 $Cache{$fullname} = join('', "package $pack; ",@
$lines);
121 print STDERR
"SelfLoader cached $fullname: $Cache{$fullname}" if $DEBUG;
122 # return stub to be eval'd
123 defined($protoype) ?
"sub $fullname $protoype;" : "sub $fullname;"
126 sub _package_defined
{}
133 SelfLoader - load functions only on demand
140 ... (initializing code)
148 This module tells its users that functions in the FOOBAR package are to be
149 autoloaded from after the C<__DATA__> token. See also
150 L<perlsub/"Autoloading">.
152 =head2 The __DATA__ token
154 The C<__DATA__> token tells the perl compiler that the perl code
155 for compilation is finished. Everything after the C<__DATA__> token
156 is available for reading via the filehandle FOOBAR::DATA,
157 where FOOBAR is the name of the current package when the C<__DATA__>
158 token is reached. This works just the same as C<__END__> does in
159 package 'main', but for other modules data after C<__END__> is not
160 automatically retrievable, whereas data after C<__DATA__> is.
161 The C<__DATA__> token is not recognized in versions of perl prior to
164 Note that it is possible to have C<__DATA__> tokens in the same package
165 in multiple files, and that the last C<__DATA__> token in a given
166 package that is encountered by the compiler is the one accessible
167 by the filehandle. This also applies to C<__END__> and main, i.e. if
168 the 'main' program has an C<__END__>, but a module 'require'd (_not_ 'use'd)
169 by that program has a 'package main;' declaration followed by an 'C<__DATA__>',
170 then the C<DATA> filehandle is set to access the data after the C<__DATA__>
171 in the module, _not_ the data after the C<__END__> token in the 'main'
172 program, since the compiler encounters the 'require'd file later.
174 =head2 SelfLoader autoloading
176 The B<SelfLoader> works by the user placing the C<__DATA__>
177 token I<after> perl code which needs to be compiled and
178 run at 'require' time, but I<before> subroutine declarations
179 that can be loaded in later - usually because they may never
182 The B<SelfLoader> will read from the FOOBAR::DATA filehandle to
183 load in the data after C<__DATA__>, and load in any subroutine
184 when it is called. The costs are the one-time parsing of the
185 data after C<__DATA__>, and a load delay for the _first_
186 call of any autoloaded function. The benefits (hopefully)
187 are a speeded up compilation phase, with no need to load
188 functions which are never used.
190 The B<SelfLoader> will stop reading from C<__DATA__> if
191 it encounters the C<__END__> token - just as you would expect.
192 If the C<__END__> token is present, and is followed by the
193 token DATA, then the B<SelfLoader> leaves the FOOBAR::DATA
194 filehandle open on the line after that token.
196 The B<SelfLoader> exports the C<AUTOLOAD> subroutine to the
197 package using the B<SelfLoader>, and this loads the called
198 subroutine when it is first called.
200 There is no advantage to putting subroutines which will _always_
201 be called after the C<__DATA__> token.
203 =head2 Autoloading and package lexicals
205 A 'my $pack_lexical' statement makes the variable $pack_lexical
206 local _only_ to the file up to the C<__DATA__> token. Subroutines
207 declared elsewhere _cannot_ see these types of variables,
208 just as if you declared subroutines in the package but in another
209 file, they cannot see these variables.
211 So specifically, autoloaded functions cannot see package
212 lexicals (this applies to both the B<SelfLoader> and the Autoloader).
213 The C<vars> pragma provides an alternative to defining package-level
214 globals that will be visible to autoloaded routines. See the documentation
215 on B<vars> in the pragma section of L<perlmod>.
217 =head2 SelfLoader and AutoLoader
219 The B<SelfLoader> can replace the AutoLoader - just change 'use AutoLoader'
220 to 'use SelfLoader' (though note that the B<SelfLoader> exports
221 the AUTOLOAD function - but if you have your own AUTOLOAD and
222 are using the AutoLoader too, you probably know what you're doing),
223 and the C<__END__> token to C<__DATA__>. You will need perl version 5.001m
224 or later to use this (version 5.001 with all patches up to patch m).
226 There is no need to inherit from the B<SelfLoader>.
228 The B<SelfLoader> works similarly to the AutoLoader, but picks up the
229 subs from after the C<__DATA__> instead of in the 'lib/auto' directory.
230 There is a maintenance gain in not needing to run AutoSplit on the module
231 at installation, and a runtime gain in not needing to keep opening and
232 closing files to load subs. There is a runtime loss in needing
233 to parse the code after the C<__DATA__>. Details of the B<AutoLoader> and
234 another view of these distinctions can be found in that module's
237 =head2 __DATA__, __END__, and the FOOBAR::DATA filehandle.
239 This section is only relevant if you want to use
240 the C<FOOBAR::DATA> together with the B<SelfLoader>.
242 Data after the C<__DATA__> token in a module is read using the
243 FOOBAR::DATA filehandle. C<__END__> can still be used to denote the end
244 of the C<__DATA__> section if followed by the token DATA - this is supported
245 by the B<SelfLoader>. The C<FOOBAR::DATA> filehandle is left open if an
246 C<__END__> followed by a DATA is found, with the filehandle positioned at
247 the start of the line after the C<__END__> token. If no C<__END__> token is
248 present, or an C<__END__> token with no DATA token on the same line, then
249 the filehandle is closed.
251 The B<SelfLoader> reads from wherever the current
252 position of the C<FOOBAR::DATA> filehandle is, until the
253 EOF or C<__END__>. This means that if you want to use
254 that filehandle (and ONLY if you want to), you should either
256 1. Put all your subroutine declarations immediately after
257 the C<__DATA__> token and put your own data after those
258 declarations, using the C<__END__> token to mark the end
259 of subroutine declarations. You must also ensure that the B<SelfLoader>
260 reads first by calling 'SelfLoader-E<gt>load_stubs();', or by using a
261 function which is selfloaded;
265 2. You should read the C<FOOBAR::DATA> filehandle first, leaving
266 the handle open and positioned at the first line of subroutine
269 You could conceivably do both.
271 =head2 Classes and inherited methods.
273 For modules which are not classes, this section is not relevant.
274 This section is only relevant if you have methods which could
277 A subroutine stub (or forward declaration) looks like
281 i.e. it is a subroutine declaration without the body of the
282 subroutine. For modules which are not classes, there is no real
283 need for stubs as far as autoloading is concerned.
285 For modules which ARE classes, and need to handle inherited methods,
286 stubs are needed to ensure that the method inheritance mechanism works
287 properly. You can load the stubs into the module at 'require' time, by
288 adding the statement 'SelfLoader-E<gt>load_stubs();' to the module to do
291 The alternative is to put the stubs in before the C<__DATA__> token BEFORE
292 releasing the module, and for this purpose the C<Devel::SelfStubber>
293 module is available. However this does require the extra step of ensuring
294 that the stubs are in the module. If this is done I strongly recommend
295 that this is done BEFORE releasing the module - it should NOT be done
296 at install time in general.
298 =head1 Multiple packages and fully qualified subroutine names
300 Subroutines in multiple packages within the same file are supported - but you
301 should note that this requires exporting the C<SelfLoader::AUTOLOAD> to
302 every package which requires it. This is done automatically by the
303 B<SelfLoader> when it first loads the subs into the cache, but you should
304 really specify it in the initialization before the C<__DATA__> by putting
305 a 'use SelfLoader' statement in each package.
307 Fully qualified subroutine names are also supported. For example,
314 will all be loaded correctly by the B<SelfLoader>, and the B<SelfLoader>
315 will ensure that the packages 'foo' and 'baz' correctly have the
316 B<SelfLoader> C<AUTOLOAD> method when the data after C<__DATA__> is first