1Class::Inspector(3) User Contributed Perl Documentation Class::Inspector(3)
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6 Class::Inspector - Get information about a class and its structure
7
9 use Class::Inspector;
10 # Is a class installed and/or loaded
12 Class::Inspector->installed( 'Foo::Class' );
13 Class::Inspector->loaded( 'Foo::Class' );
14 # Filename related information
16 Class::Inspector->filename( 'Foo::Class' );
17 Class::Inspector->resolved_filename( 'Foo::Class' );
18 # Get subroutine related information
20 Class::Inspector->functions( 'Foo::Class' );
21 Class::Inspector->function_refs( 'Foo::Class' );
22 Class::Inspector->function_exists( 'Foo::Class', 'bar' );
23 Class::Inspector->methods( 'Foo::Class', 'full', 'public' );
24 # Find all loaded subclasses or something
26 Class::Inspector->subclasses( 'Foo::Class' );
27
29 Class::Inspector allows you to get information about a loaded class.
30 Most or all of this information can be found in other ways, but they
31 aren't always very friendly, and usually involve a relatively high
32 level of Perl wizardry, or strange and unusual looking code.
33 Class::Inspector attempts to provide an easier, more friendly interface
34 to this information.
35
37 installed $class
38 The "installed" static method tries to determine if a class is
39 installed on the machine, or at least available to Perl. It does this
40 by wrapping around "resolved_filename".
41 Returns true if installed/available, false if the class is not
43 installed, or "undef" if the class name is invalid.
44 loaded $class
46 The "loaded" static method tries to determine if a class is loaded by
47 looking for symbol table entries.
48 This method it uses to determine this will work even if the class does
50 not have its own file, but is contained inside a single file with
51 multiple classes in it. Even in the case of some sort of run-time
52 loading class being used, these typically leave some trace in the
53 symbol table, so an Autoload or Class::Autouse-based class should
54 correctly appear loaded.
55 Returns true if the class is loaded, false if not, or "undef" if the
57 class name is invalid.
58 filename $class
60 For a given class, returns the base filename for the class. This will
61 NOT be a fully resolved filename, just the part of the filename BELOW
62 the @INC entry.
63 print Class->filename( 'Foo::Bar' );
65 > Foo/Bar.pm
66 This filename will be returned with the right seperator for the local
68 platform, and should work on all platforms.
69 Returns the filename on success or "undef" if the class name is
71 invalid.
72 resolved_filename $class, @try_first
74 For a given class, the "resolved_filename" static method returns the
75 fully resolved filename for a class. That is, the file that the class
76 would be loaded from.
77 This is not nescesarily the file that the class WAS loaded from, as the
79 value returned is determined each time it runs, and the @INC include
80 path may change.
81 To get the actual file for a loaded class, see the "loaded_filename"
83 method.
84 Returns the filename for the class, or "undef" if the class name is
86 invalid.
87 loaded_filename $class
89 For a given loaded class, the "loaded_filename" static method
90 determines (via the %INC hash) the name of the file that it was
91 originally loaded from.
92 Returns a resolved file path, or false if the class did not have it's
94 own file.
95 functions $class
97 For a loaded class, the "functions" static method returns a list of the
98 names of all the functions in the classes immediate namespace.
99 Note that this is not the METHODS of the class, just the functions.
101 Returns a reference to an array of the function names on success, or
103 "undef" if the class name is invalid or the class is not loaded.
104 function_refs $class
106 For a loaded class, the "function_refs" static method returns
107 references to all the functions in the classes immediate namespace.
108 Note that this is not the METHODS of the class, just the functions.
110 Returns a reference to an array of "CODE" refs of the functions on
112 success, or "undef" if the class is not loaded.
113 function_exists $class, $function
115 Given a class and function name the "function_exists" static method
116 will check to see if the function exists in the class.
117 Note that this is as a function, not as a method. To see if a method
119 exists for a class, use the "can" method for any class or object.
120 Returns true if the function exists, false if not, or "undef" if the
122 class or function name are invalid, or the class is not loaded.
123 methods $class, @options
125 For a given class name, the "methods" static method will returns ALL
126 the methods available to that class. This includes all methods
127 available from every class up the class' @ISA tree.
128 Returns a reference to an array of the names of all the available
130 methods on success, or "undef" if the class name is invalid or the
131 class is not loaded.
132 A number of options are available to the "methods" method that will
134 alter the results returned. These should be listed after the class
135 name, in any order.
136 # Only get public methods
138 my $method = Class::Inspector->methods( 'My::Class', 'public' );
139 public
141 The "public" option will return only 'public' methods, as defined
142 by the Perl convention of prepending an underscore to any 'private'
143 methods. The "public" option will effectively remove any methods
144 that start with an underscore.
145 private
147 The "private" options will return only 'private' methods, as
148 defined by the Perl convention of prepending an underscore to an
149 private methods. The "private" option will effectively remove an
150 method that do not start with an underscore.
151 Note: The "public" and "private" options are mutually exclusive
153 full
155 "methods" normally returns just the method name. Supplying the
156 "full" option will cause the methods to be returned as the full
157 names. That is, instead of returning "[ 'method1', 'method2',
158 'method3' ]", you would instead get "[ 'Class::method1',
159 'AnotherClass::method2', 'Class::method3' ]".
160 expanded
162 The "expanded" option will cause a lot more information about
163 method to be returned. Instead of just the method name, you will
164 instead get an array reference containing the method name as a
165 single combined name, ala "full", the seperate class and method,
166 and a CODE ref to the actual function ( if available ). Please note
167 that the function reference is not guarenteed to be available.
168 "Class::Inspector" is intended at some later time, work with
169 modules that have some some of common run-time loader in place (
170 e.g "Autoloader" or "Class::Autouse" for example.
171 The response from "methods( 'Class', 'expanded' )" would look
173 something like the following.
174 [
176 [ 'Class::method1', 'Class', 'method1', \&Class::method1 ],
177 [ 'Another::method2', 'Another', 'method2', \&Another::method2 ],
178 [ 'Foo::bar', 'Foo', 'bar', \&Foo::bar ],
179 ]
180 subclasses $class
182 The "subclasses" static method will search then entire namespace (and
183 thus all currently loaded classes) to find all classes that are
184 subclasses of the class provided as a the parameter.
185 The actual test will be done by calling "isa" on the class as a static
187 method. (i.e. "My::Class->isa($class)".
188 Returns a reference to a list of the loaded classes that match the
190 class provided, or false is none match, or "undef" if the class name
191 provided is invalid.
192
194 Bugs should be reported via the CPAN bug tracker
195 <http://rt.cpan.org/NoAuth/ReportBug.html?Queue=Class-Inspector>
197 For other issues, or commercial enhancement or support, contact the
199 author.
200
202 Adam Kennedy <adamk@cpan.org>
203
205 <http://ali.as/>, Class::Handle
206
208 Copyright 2002 - 2012 Adam Kennedy.
209 This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
211 under the same terms as Perl itself.
212 The full text of the license can be found in the LICENSE file included
214 with this module.
215perl v5.16.3 2012-10-19 Class::Inspector(3)