5 @EXPORT = qw(AUTOLOAD);
10 my %Cache; # private cache for all SelfLoader's client packages
12 # allow checking for valid ': attrlist' attachments
14 $nested = qr{ \( (?: (?> [^()]+ ) | (??{ $nested }) )* \) }x;
15 my $one_attr = qr{ (?> (?! \d) \w+ (?:$nested)? ) (?:\s*\:\s*|\s+(?!\:)) }x;
16 my $attr_list = qr{ \s* : \s* (?: $one_attr )* }x;
18 sub croak { require Carp; goto &Carp::croak }
21 print STDERR "SelfLoader::AUTOLOAD for $AUTOLOAD\n" if $DEBUG;
22 my $SL_code = $Cache{$AUTOLOAD};
23 my $save = $@; # evals in both AUTOLOAD and _load_stubs can corrupt $@
25 # Maybe this pack had stubs before __DATA__, and never initialized.
26 # Or, this maybe an automatic DESTROY method call when none exists.
27 $AUTOLOAD =~ m/^(.*)::/;
28 SelfLoader->_load_stubs($1) unless exists $Cache{"${1}::<DATA"};
29 $SL_code = $Cache{$AUTOLOAD};
30 $SL_code = "sub $AUTOLOAD { }"
31 if (!$SL_code and $AUTOLOAD =~ m/::DESTROY$/);
32 croak "Undefined subroutine $AUTOLOAD" unless $SL_code;
34 print STDERR "SelfLoader::AUTOLOAD eval: $SL_code\n" if $DEBUG;
42 defined(&$AUTOLOAD) || die "SelfLoader inconsistency error";
43 delete $Cache{$AUTOLOAD};
47 sub load_stubs { shift->_load_stubs((caller)[0]) }
50 # $endlines is used by Devel::SelfStubber to capture lines after __END__
51 my($self, $callpack, $endlines) = @_;
52 my $fh = \*{"${callpack}::DATA"};
53 my $currpack = $callpack;
54 my($line,$name,@lines, @stubs, $protoype);
56 print STDERR "SelfLoader::load_stubs($callpack)\n" if $DEBUG;
57 croak("$callpack doesn't contain an __DATA__ token")
59 $Cache{"${currpack}::<DATA"} = 1; # indicate package is cached
62 while(defined($line = <$fh>) and $line !~ m/^__END__/) {
63 if ($line =~ m/^sub\s+([\w:]+)\s*((?:\([\\\$\@\%\&\*\;]*\))?(?:$attr_list)?)/) {
64 push(@stubs, $self->_add_to_cache($name, $currpack, \@lines, $protoype));
67 if (index($1,'::') == -1) { # simple sub name
68 $name = "${currpack}::$1";
69 } else { # sub name with package
72 if (defined(&{"${1}::AUTOLOAD"})) {
73 \&{"${1}::AUTOLOAD"} == \&SelfLoader::AUTOLOAD ||
74 die 'SelfLoader Error: attempt to specify Selfloading',
75 " sub $name in non-selfloading module $1";
77 $self->export($1,'AUTOLOAD');
80 } elsif ($line =~ m/^package\s+([\w:]+)/) { # A package declared
81 push(@stubs, $self->_add_to_cache($name, $currpack, \@lines, $protoype));
82 $self->_package_defined($line);
86 $Cache{"${currpack}::<DATA"} = 1; # indicate package is cached
87 if (defined(&{"${1}::AUTOLOAD"})) {
88 \&{"${1}::AUTOLOAD"} == \&SelfLoader::AUTOLOAD ||
89 die 'SelfLoader Error: attempt to specify Selfloading',
90 " package $currpack which already has AUTOLOAD";
92 $self->export($currpack,'AUTOLOAD');
98 if (defined($line) && $line =~ /^__END__/) { # __END__
99 unless ($line =~ /^__END__\s*DATA/) {
101 # Devel::SelfStubber would like us to capture the lines after
102 # __END__ so it can write out the entire file
108 push(@stubs, $self->_add_to_cache($name, $currpack, \@lines, $protoype));
109 eval join('', @stubs) if @stubs;
114 my($self,$fullname,$pack,$lines, $protoype) = @_;
115 return () unless $fullname;
116 (require Carp), Carp::carp("Redefining sub $fullname")
117 if exists $Cache{$fullname};
118 $Cache{$fullname} = join('', "package $pack; ",@$lines);
119 print STDERR "SelfLoader cached $fullname: $Cache{$fullname}" if $DEBUG;
120 # return stub to be eval'd
121 defined($protoype) ? "sub $fullname $protoype;" : "sub $fullname;"
124 sub _package_defined {}
131 SelfLoader - load functions only on demand
138 ... (initializing code)
146 This module tells its users that functions in the FOOBAR package are to be
147 autoloaded from after the C<__DATA__> token. See also
148 L<perlsub/"Autoloading">.
150 =head2 The __DATA__ token
152 The C<__DATA__> token tells the perl compiler that the perl code
153 for compilation is finished. Everything after the C<__DATA__> token
154 is available for reading via the filehandle FOOBAR::DATA,
155 where FOOBAR is the name of the current package when the C<__DATA__>
156 token is reached. This works just the same as C<__END__> does in
157 package 'main', but for other modules data after C<__END__> is not
158 automatically retrievable, whereas data after C<__DATA__> is.
159 The C<__DATA__> token is not recognized in versions of perl prior to
162 Note that it is possible to have C<__DATA__> tokens in the same package
163 in multiple files, and that the last C<__DATA__> token in a given
164 package that is encountered by the compiler is the one accessible
165 by the filehandle. This also applies to C<__END__> and main, i.e. if
166 the 'main' program has an C<__END__>, but a module 'require'd (_not_ 'use'd)
167 by that program has a 'package main;' declaration followed by an 'C<__DATA__>',
168 then the C<DATA> filehandle is set to access the data after the C<__DATA__>
169 in the module, _not_ the data after the C<__END__> token in the 'main'
170 program, since the compiler encounters the 'require'd file later.
172 =head2 SelfLoader autoloading
174 The B<SelfLoader> works by the user placing the C<__DATA__>
175 token I<after> perl code which needs to be compiled and
176 run at 'require' time, but I<before> subroutine declarations
177 that can be loaded in later - usually because they may never
180 The B<SelfLoader> will read from the FOOBAR::DATA filehandle to
181 load in the data after C<__DATA__>, and load in any subroutine
182 when it is called. The costs are the one-time parsing of the
183 data after C<__DATA__>, and a load delay for the _first_
184 call of any autoloaded function. The benefits (hopefully)
185 are a speeded up compilation phase, with no need to load
186 functions which are never used.
188 The B<SelfLoader> will stop reading from C<__DATA__> if
189 it encounters the C<__END__> token - just as you would expect.
190 If the C<__END__> token is present, and is followed by the
191 token DATA, then the B<SelfLoader> leaves the FOOBAR::DATA
192 filehandle open on the line after that token.
194 The B<SelfLoader> exports the C<AUTOLOAD> subroutine to the
195 package using the B<SelfLoader>, and this loads the called
196 subroutine when it is first called.
198 There is no advantage to putting subroutines which will _always_
199 be called after the C<__DATA__> token.
201 =head2 Autoloading and package lexicals
203 A 'my $pack_lexical' statement makes the variable $pack_lexical
204 local _only_ to the file up to the C<__DATA__> token. Subroutines
205 declared elsewhere _cannot_ see these types of variables,
206 just as if you declared subroutines in the package but in another
207 file, they cannot see these variables.
209 So specifically, autoloaded functions cannot see package
210 lexicals (this applies to both the B<SelfLoader> and the Autoloader).
211 The C<vars> pragma provides an alternative to defining package-level
212 globals that will be visible to autoloaded routines. See the documentation
213 on B<vars> in the pragma section of L<perlmod>.
215 =head2 SelfLoader and AutoLoader
217 The B<SelfLoader> can replace the AutoLoader - just change 'use AutoLoader'
218 to 'use SelfLoader' (though note that the B<SelfLoader> exports
219 the AUTOLOAD function - but if you have your own AUTOLOAD and
220 are using the AutoLoader too, you probably know what you're doing),
221 and the C<__END__> token to C<__DATA__>. You will need perl version 5.001m
222 or later to use this (version 5.001 with all patches up to patch m).
224 There is no need to inherit from the B<SelfLoader>.
226 The B<SelfLoader> works similarly to the AutoLoader, but picks up the
227 subs from after the C<__DATA__> instead of in the 'lib/auto' directory.
228 There is a maintenance gain in not needing to run AutoSplit on the module
229 at installation, and a runtime gain in not needing to keep opening and
230 closing files to load subs. There is a runtime loss in needing
231 to parse the code after the C<__DATA__>. Details of the B<AutoLoader> and
232 another view of these distinctions can be found in that module's
235 =head2 __DATA__, __END__, and the FOOBAR::DATA filehandle.
237 This section is only relevant if you want to use
238 the C<FOOBAR::DATA> together with the B<SelfLoader>.
240 Data after the C<__DATA__> token in a module is read using the
241 FOOBAR::DATA filehandle. C<__END__> can still be used to denote the end
242 of the C<__DATA__> section if followed by the token DATA - this is supported
243 by the B<SelfLoader>. The C<FOOBAR::DATA> filehandle is left open if an
244 C<__END__> followed by a DATA is found, with the filehandle positioned at
245 the start of the line after the C<__END__> token. If no C<__END__> token is
246 present, or an C<__END__> token with no DATA token on the same line, then
247 the filehandle is closed.
249 The B<SelfLoader> reads from wherever the current
250 position of the C<FOOBAR::DATA> filehandle is, until the
251 EOF or C<__END__>. This means that if you want to use
252 that filehandle (and ONLY if you want to), you should either
254 1. Put all your subroutine declarations immediately after
255 the C<__DATA__> token and put your own data after those
256 declarations, using the C<__END__> token to mark the end
257 of subroutine declarations. You must also ensure that the B<SelfLoader>
258 reads first by calling 'SelfLoader-E<gt>load_stubs();', or by using a
259 function which is selfloaded;
263 2. You should read the C<FOOBAR::DATA> filehandle first, leaving
264 the handle open and positioned at the first line of subroutine
267 You could conceivably do both.
269 =head2 Classes and inherited methods.
271 For modules which are not classes, this section is not relevant.
272 This section is only relevant if you have methods which could
275 A subroutine stub (or forward declaration) looks like
279 i.e. it is a subroutine declaration without the body of the
280 subroutine. For modules which are not classes, there is no real
281 need for stubs as far as autoloading is concerned.
283 For modules which ARE classes, and need to handle inherited methods,
284 stubs are needed to ensure that the method inheritance mechanism works
285 properly. You can load the stubs into the module at 'require' time, by
286 adding the statement 'SelfLoader-E<gt>load_stubs();' to the module to do
289 The alternative is to put the stubs in before the C<__DATA__> token BEFORE
290 releasing the module, and for this purpose the C<Devel::SelfStubber>
291 module is available. However this does require the extra step of ensuring
292 that the stubs are in the module. If this is done I strongly recommend
293 that this is done BEFORE releasing the module - it should NOT be done
294 at install time in general.
296 =head1 Multiple packages and fully qualified subroutine names
298 Subroutines in multiple packages within the same file are supported - but you
299 should note that this requires exporting the C<SelfLoader::AUTOLOAD> to
300 every package which requires it. This is done automatically by the
301 B<SelfLoader> when it first loads the subs into the cache, but you should
302 really specify it in the initialization before the C<__DATA__> by putting
303 a 'use SelfLoader' statement in each package.
305 Fully qualified subroutine names are also supported. For example,
312 will all be loaded correctly by the B<SelfLoader>, and the B<SelfLoader>
313 will ensure that the packages 'foo' and 'baz' correctly have the
314 B<SelfLoader> C<AUTOLOAD> method when the data after C<__DATA__> is first