1PPI::Token::Prototype(3U)ser Contributed Perl DocumentatiPoPnI::Token::Prototype(3)
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NAME

6       PPI::Token::Prototype - A subroutine prototype descriptor
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INHERITANCE

9         PPI::Token::End
10         isa PPI::Token
11             isa PPI::Element
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SYNOPSIS

14         sub ($@) prototype;
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DESCRIPTION

17       Although it sort of looks like a list or condition, a subroutine
18       prototype is a lot more like a string. Its job is to provide hints to
19       the perl compiler on what type of arguments a particular subroutine
20       expects, which the compiler uses to validate parameters at compile-
21       time, and allows programmers to use the functions without explicit
22       parameter braces.
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24       Due to the rise of OO Perl coding, which ignores these prototypes, they
25       are most often used to allow for constant-like things, and to "extend"
26       the language and create things that act like keywords and core
27       functions.
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29         # Create something that acts like a constant
30         sub MYCONSTANT () { 10 }
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32         # Create the "any" core-looking function
33         sub any (&@) { ... }
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35         if ( any { $_->cute } @babies ) {
36               ...
37         }
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METHODS

40       This class provides one additional method beyond those defined by the
41       PPI::Token and PPI::Element parent classes.
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43   prototype
44       The "prototype" accessor returns the actual prototype pattern, stripped
45       of braces and any whitespace inside the pattern.
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SUPPORT

48       See the support section in the main module.
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AUTHOR

51       Adam Kennedy <adamk@cpan.org>
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54       Copyright 2001 - 2011 Adam Kennedy.
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56       This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
57       under the same terms as Perl itself.
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59       The full text of the license can be found in the LICENSE file included
60       with this module.
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64perl v5.12.3                      2011-02-26          PPI::Token::Prototype(3)
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