Class::MakeMethods::Standard::Array - Methods for Array objects


NAME

Class::MakeMethods::Standard::Array - Methods for Array objects


SYNOPSIS

  package MyObject;
  use Class::MakeMethods::Standard::Array (
    new => 'new',
    scalar => [ 'foo', 'bar' ],
    array => 'my_list',
    hash => 'my_index',
  );
  ...
  
  my $obj = MyObject->new( foo => 'Foozle' );
  print $obj->foo();
  
  $obj->bar('Barbados');
  print $obj->bar();
  
  $obj->my_list(0 => 'Foozle', 1 => 'Bang!');
  print $obj->my_list(1);
  
  $obj->my_index('broccoli' => 'Blah!', 'foo' => 'Fiddle');
  print $obj->my_index('foo');


DESCRIPTION

The Standard::Array suclass of MakeMethods provides a basic constructor and accessors for blessed-array object instances.

Calling Conventions

When you use this package, the method names you provide as arguments cause subroutines to be generated and installed in your module.

See Calling Conventions in the Class::MakeMethods::Standard manpage for more information.

Declaration Syntax

To declare methods, pass in pairs of a method-type name followed by one or more method names.

Valid method-type names for this package are listed in METHOD GENERATOR TYPES.

See Declaration Syntax in the Class::MakeMethods::Standard manpage and Parameter Syntax in the Class::MakeMethods::Standard manpage for more information.

Positional Accessors and %FIELDS

Each accessor method is assigned the next available array index at which to store its value.

The mapping between method names and array positions is stored in a hash named %FIELDS in the declaring package. When a package declares its first positional accessor, its %FIELDS are initialized by searching its inheritance tree.

Warning: Subclassing packages that use positional accessors is somewhat fragile, since you may end up with two distinct methods assigned to the same position. Specific cases to avoid are:


METHOD GENERATOR TYPES

new - Constructor

For each method name passed, returns a subroutine with the following characteristics:

Sample declaration and usage:

  package MyObject;
  use Class::MakeMethods::Standard::Array (
    new => 'new',
  );
  ...
  
  # Bare constructor
  my $empty = MyObject->new();
  
  # Constructor with initial sequence of method calls
  my $obj = MyObject->new( foo => 'Foozle', bar => 'Barbados' );
  
  # Copy with overriding sequence of method calls
  my $copy = $obj->new( bar => 'Bob' );

scalar - Instance Accessor

For each method name passed, uses a closure to generate a subroutine with the following characteristics:

Sample declaration and usage:

  package MyObject;
  use Class::MakeMethods::Standard::Array (
    scalar => 'foo',
  );
  ...
  
  # Store value
  $obj->foo('Foozle');
  
  # Retrieve value
  print $obj->foo;

array - Instance Ref Accessor

For each method name passed, uses a closure to generate a subroutine with the following characteristics:

Sample declaration and usage:


  package MyObject;
  use Class::MakeMethods::Standard::Array (
    array => 'bar',
  );
  ...

  # Clear and set contents of list
  print $obj->bar([ 'Spume', 'Frost' ] );

  # Set values by position
  $obj->bar(0 => 'Foozle', 1 => 'Bang!');

  # Positions may be overwritten, and in any order
  $obj->bar(2 => 'And Mash', 1 => 'Blah!');

  # Retrieve value by position
  print $obj->bar(1);

  # Direct access to referenced array
  print scalar @{ $obj->bar() };

There are also calling conventions for slice and splice operations:

  # Retrieve slice of values by position
  print join(', ', $obj->bar( undef, [0, 2] ) );
  
  # Insert an item at position in the array
  $obj->bar([3], 'Potatoes' );  
  
  # Remove 1 item from position 3 in the array
  $obj->bar([3, 1], undef );  
  
  # Set a new value at position 2, and return the old value 
  print $obj->bar([2, 1], 'Froth' );

hash - Instance Ref Accessor

For each method name passed, uses a closure to generate a subroutine with the following characteristics:

Sample declaration and usage:

  package MyObject;
  use Class::MakeMethods::Standard::Array (
    hash => 'baz',
  );
  ...
  
  # Set values by key
  $obj->baz('foo' => 'Foozle', 'bar' => 'Bang!');
  
  # Values may be overwritten, and in any order
  $obj->baz('broccoli' => 'Blah!', 'foo' => 'Fiddle');
  
  # Retrieve value by key
  print $obj->baz('foo');
  
  # Retrive slice of values by position
  print join(', ', $obj->baz( ['foo', 'bar'] ) );
  
  # Direct access to referenced hash
  print keys %{ $obj->baz() };
  
  # Reset the hash contents to empty
  @{ $obj->baz() } = ();

object - Instance Ref Accessor

For each method name passed, uses a closure to generate a subroutine with the following characteristics:

Sample declaration and usage:

  package MyObject;
  use Class::MakeMethods::Standard::Hash (
    object => 'foo',
  );
  ...
  
  # Store value
  $obj->foo( Foozle->new() );
  
  # Retrieve value
  print $obj->foo;


SEE ALSO

See the Class::MakeMethods manpage for general information about this distribution.

See the Class::MakeMethods::Standard manpage for more about this family of subclasses.

See the Class::MakeMethods::Standard::Hash manpage for equivalent functionality based on blessed hashes. If your module will be extensively subclassed, consider switching to Standard::Hash to avoid the subclassing concerns described above.

 Class::MakeMethods::Standard::Array - Methods for Array objects