=head1 NAME
+X<object> X<OOP>
perlobj - Perl objects
We'll cover these points now in more depth.
=head2 An Object is Simply a Reference
+X<object> X<bless> X<constructor> X<new>
Unlike say C++, Perl doesn't provide any special syntax for
constructors. A constructor is merely a subroutine that returns a
operated on the object and not on the reference.
=head2 A Class is Simply a Package
+X<class> X<package> X<@ISA> X<inheritance>
Unlike say C++, Perl doesn't provide any special syntax for class
definitions. You use a package as a class by putting method
where else to look for a method if you can't find it in the current
package. This is how Perl implements inheritance. Each element of the
@ISA array is just the name of another package that happens to be a
-class package. The classes are searched (depth first) for missing
-methods in the order that they occur in @ISA. The classes accessible
+class package. The classes are searched for missing methods in
+depth-first, left-to-right order by default (see L<mro> for alternative
+search order and other in-depth information). The classes accessible
through @ISA are known as base classes of the current class.
All classes implicitly inherit from class C<UNIVERSAL> as their
last base class. Several commonly used methods are automatically
supplied in the UNIVERSAL class; see L<"Default UNIVERSAL methods"> for
more details.
+X<UNIVERSAL> X<base class> X<class, base>
If a missing method is found in a base class, it is cached
in the current class for efficiency. Changing @ISA or defining new
AUTOLOAD is found, this method is called on behalf of the missing method,
setting the package global $AUTOLOAD to be the fully qualified name of
the method that was intended to be called.
+X<AUTOLOAD>
If none of that works, Perl finally gives up and complains.
If you want to stop the AUTOLOAD inheritance say simply
+X<AUTOLOAD>
sub AUTOLOAD;
The only problem with this is that you can't sure that you aren't using
a piece of the hash that isn't already used. A reasonable workaround
is to prepend your fieldname in the hash with the package name.
+X<inheritance, method> X<inheritance, data>
sub bump {
my $self = shift;
}
=head2 A Method is Simply a Subroutine
+X<method>
Unlike say C++, Perl doesn't provide any special syntax for method
definition. (It does provide a little syntax for method invocation
}
=head2 Method Invocation
+X<invocation> X<method> X<arrow> X<< -> >>
For various historical and other reasons, Perl offers two equivalent
ways to write a method call. The simpler and more common way is to use
As a special case of the above, you may use the C<SUPER> pseudo-class to
tell Perl to start looking for the method in the packages named in the
current class's C<@ISA> list.
+X<SUPER>
package MyCritter;
use base 'Critter'; # sets @MyCritter::ISA = ('Critter');
C<SUPER> pseudo-class can only currently be used as a modifier to a method
name, but not in any of the other ways that class names are normally used,
eg:
+X<SUPER>
something->SUPER::method(...); # OK
SUPER::method(...); # WRONG
my $fred = (reverse "rettirC")->find(reverse "derF");
+The right side of the arrow typically is the method name, but a simple
+scalar variable containing either the method name or a subroutine
+reference can also be used.
+
=head2 Indirect Object Syntax
+X<indirect object syntax> X<invocation, indirect> X<indirect>
The other way to invoke a method is by using the so-called "indirect
object" notation. This syntax was available in Perl 4 long before
familiar with it.
=head2 Default UNIVERSAL methods
+X<UNIVERSAL>
The C<UNIVERSAL> package automatically contains the following methods that
are inherited by all other classes:
=over 4
=item isa(CLASS)
+X<isa>
C<isa> returns I<true> if its object is blessed into a subclass of C<CLASS>
If you need to determine whether you've received a valid invocant, use the
C<blessed> function from L<Scalar::Util>:
+X<invocant> X<blessed>
if (blessed($ref) && $ref->isa( 'Some::Class')) {
# ...
blessed into, or C<undef>.
=item can(METHOD)
+X<can>
C<can> checks to see if its object has a method called C<METHOD>,
if it does then a reference to the sub is returned, if it does not then
The same caveats for calling C<UNIVERSAL::isa> directly apply here, too.
=item VERSION( [NEED] )
+X<VERSION>
C<VERSION> returns the version number of the class (package). If the
NEED argument is given then it will check that the current version (as
available to your program (and you should not do so).
=head2 Destructors
+X<destructor> X<DESTROY>
When the last reference to an object goes away, the object is
automatically destroyed. (This may even be after you exit, if you've
the thingy the reference points to, namely C<${$_[0]}>, C<@{$_[0]}>,
C<%{$_[0]}> etc.) is not similarly constrained.
+Since DESTROY methods can be called at unpredictable times, it is
+important that you localise any global variables that the method may
+update. In particular, localise C<$@> if you use C<eval {}> and
+localise C<$?> if you use C<system> or backticks.
+
If you arrange to re-bless the reference before the destructor returns,
perl will again call the DESTROY method for the re-blessed object after
the current one returns. This can be used for clean delegation of
with it for the next six months or so.
=head2 Two-Phased Garbage Collection
+X<garbage collection> X<GC> X<circular reference>
+X<reference, circular> X<DESTROY> X<destructor>
For most purposes, Perl uses a fast and simple, reference-based
garbage collection system. That means there's an extra