phpman > man > SelfLoader(3pm)

NAME
    SelfLoader - load functions only on demand

SYNOPSIS
        package FOOBAR;
        use SelfLoader;

        ... (initializing code)

        __DATA__
        sub {....

DESCRIPTION
    This module tells its users that functions in the FOOBAR package are to be autoloaded from after
    the "__DATA__" token. See also "Autoloading" in perlsub.

  The __DATA__ token
    The "__DATA__" token tells the perl compiler that the perl code for compilation is finished.
    Everything after the "__DATA__" token is available for reading via the filehandle FOOBAR::DATA,
    where FOOBAR is the name of the current package when the "__DATA__" token is reached. This works
    just the same as "__END__" does in package 'main', but for other modules data after "__END__" is
    not automatically retrievable, whereas data after "__DATA__" is. The "__DATA__" token is not
    recognized in versions of perl prior to 5.001m.

    Note that it is possible to have "__DATA__" tokens in the same package in multiple files, and
    that the last "__DATA__" token in a given package that is encountered by the compiler is the one
    accessible by the filehandle. This also applies to "__END__" and main, i.e. if the 'main'
    program has an "__END__", but a module 'require'd (_not_ 'use'd) by that program has a 'package
    main;' declaration followed by an '"__DATA__"', then the "DATA" filehandle is set to access the
    data after the "__DATA__" in the module, _not_ the data after the "__END__" token in the 'main'
    program, since the compiler encounters the 'require'd file later.

  SelfLoader autoloading
    The SelfLoader works by the user placing the "__DATA__" token *after* perl code which needs to
    be compiled and run at 'require' time, but *before* subroutine declarations that can be loaded
    in later - usually because they may never be called.

    The SelfLoader will read from the FOOBAR::DATA filehandle to load in the data after "__DATA__",
    and load in any subroutine when it is called. The costs are the one-time parsing of the data
    after "__DATA__", and a load delay for the _first_ call of any autoloaded function. The benefits
    (hopefully) are a speeded up compilation phase, with no need to load functions which are never
    used.

    The SelfLoader will stop reading from "__DATA__" if it encounters the "__END__" token - just as
    you would expect. If the "__END__" token is present, and is followed by the token DATA, then the
    SelfLoader leaves the FOOBAR::DATA filehandle open on the line after that token.

    The SelfLoader exports the "AUTOLOAD" subroutine to the package using the SelfLoader, and this
    loads the called subroutine when it is first called.

    There is no advantage to putting subroutines which will _always_ be called after the "__DATA__"
    token.

  Autoloading and package lexicals
    A 'my $pack_lexical' statement makes the variable $pack_lexical local _only_ to the file up to
    the "__DATA__" token. Subroutines declared elsewhere _cannot_ see these types of variables, just
    as if you declared subroutines in the package but in another file, they cannot see these
    variables.

    So specifically, autoloaded functions cannot see package lexicals (this applies to both the
    SelfLoader and the Autoloader). The "vars" pragma provides an alternative to defining
    package-level globals that will be visible to autoloaded routines. See the documentation on vars
    in the pragma section of perlmod.

  SelfLoader and AutoLoader
    The SelfLoader can replace the AutoLoader - just change 'use AutoLoader' to 'use SelfLoader'
    (though note that the SelfLoader exports the AUTOLOAD function - but if you have your own
    AUTOLOAD and are using the AutoLoader too, you probably know what you're doing), and the
    "__END__" token to "__DATA__". You will need perl version 5.001m or later to use this (version
    5.001 with all patches up to patch m).

    There is no need to inherit from the SelfLoader.

    The SelfLoader works similarly to the AutoLoader, but picks up the subs from after the
    "__DATA__" instead of in the 'lib/auto' directory. There is a maintenance gain in not needing to
    run AutoSplit on the module at installation, and a runtime gain in not needing to keep opening
    and closing files to load subs. There is a runtime loss in needing to parse the code after the
    "__DATA__". Details of the AutoLoader and another view of these distinctions can be found in
    that module's documentation.

  __DATA__, __END__, and the FOOBAR::DATA filehandle.
    This section is only relevant if you want to use the "FOOBAR::DATA" together with the
    SelfLoader.

    Data after the "__DATA__" token in a module is read using the FOOBAR::DATA filehandle. "__END__"
    can still be used to denote the end of the "__DATA__" section if followed by the token DATA -
    this is supported by the SelfLoader. The "FOOBAR::DATA" filehandle is left open if an "__END__"
    followed by a DATA is found, with the filehandle positioned at the start of the line after the
    "__END__" token. If no "__END__" token is present, or an "__END__" token with no DATA token on
    the same line, then the filehandle is closed.

    The SelfLoader reads from wherever the current position of the "FOOBAR::DATA" filehandle is,
    until the EOF or "__END__". This means that if you want to use that filehandle (and ONLY if you
    want to), you should either

    1. Put all your subroutine declarations immediately after the "__DATA__" token and put your own
    data after those declarations, using the "__END__" token to mark the end of subroutine
    declarations. You must also ensure that the SelfLoader reads first by calling
    'SelfLoader->load_stubs();', or by using a function which is selfloaded;

    or

    2. You should read the "FOOBAR::DATA" filehandle first, leaving the handle open and positioned
    at the first line of subroutine declarations.

    You could conceivably do both.

  Classes and inherited methods.
    For modules which are not classes, this section is not relevant. This section is only relevant
    if you have methods which could be inherited.

    A subroutine stub (or forward declaration) looks like

      sub stub;

    i.e. it is a subroutine declaration without the body of the subroutine. For modules which are
    not classes, there is no real need for stubs as far as autoloading is concerned.

    For modules which ARE classes, and need to handle inherited methods, stubs are needed to ensure
    that the method inheritance mechanism works properly. You can load the stubs into the module at
    'require' time, by adding the statement 'SelfLoader->load_stubs();' to the module to do this.

    The alternative is to put the stubs in before the "__DATA__" token BEFORE releasing the module,
    and for this purpose the "Devel::SelfStubber" module is available. However this does require the
    extra step of ensuring that the stubs are in the module. If this is done I strongly recommend
    that this is done BEFORE releasing the module - it should NOT be done at install time in
    general.

Multiple packages and fully qualified subroutine names
    Subroutines in multiple packages within the same file are supported - but you should note that
    this requires exporting the "SelfLoader::AUTOLOAD" to every package which requires it. This is
    done automatically by the SelfLoader when it first loads the subs into the cache, but you should
    really specify it in the initialization before the "__DATA__" by putting a 'use SelfLoader'
    statement in each package.

    Fully qualified subroutine names are also supported. For example,

       __DATA__
       sub foo::bar {23}
       package baz;
       sub dob {32}

    will all be loaded correctly by the SelfLoader, and the SelfLoader will ensure that the packages
    'foo' and 'baz' correctly have the SelfLoader "AUTOLOAD" method when the data after "__DATA__"
    is first parsed.

AUTHOR
    "SelfLoader" is maintained by the perl5-porters. Please direct any questions to the canonical
    mailing list. Anything that is applicable to the CPAN release can be sent to its maintainer,
    though.

    Author and Maintainer: The Perl5-Porters <perl5-porters AT perl.org>

    Maintainer of the CPAN release: Steffen Mueller <smueller AT cpan.org>

COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE
    This package has been part of the perl core since the first release of perl5. It has been
    released separately to CPAN so older installations can benefit from bug fixes.

    This package has the same copyright and license as the perl core:

    Copyright (C) 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
    by Larry Wall and others

    All rights reserved.

    This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of
    either:

    a)  the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version
        1, or (at your option) any later version, or

    b)  the "Artistic License" which comes with this Kit.

    This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY;
    without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See
    either the GNU General Public License or the Artistic License for more details.

    You should have received a copy of the Artistic License with this Kit, in the file named
    "Artistic". If not, I'll be glad to provide one.

    You should also have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this program
    in the file named "Copying". If not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin
    St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA or visit their web page on the internet at
    <http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html>.

    For those of you that choose to use the GNU General Public License, my interpretation of the GNU
    General Public License is that no Perl script falls under the terms of the GPL unless you
    explicitly put said script under the terms of the GPL yourself. Furthermore, any object code
    linked with perl does not automatically fall under the terms of the GPL, provided such object
    code only adds definitions of subroutines and variables, and does not otherwise impair the
    resulting interpreter from executing any standard Perl script. I consider linking in C
    subroutines in this manner to be the moral equivalent of defining subroutines in the Perl
    language itself. You may sell such an object file as proprietary provided that you provide or
    offer to provide the Perl source, as specified by the GNU General Public License. (This is
    merely an alternate way of specifying input to the program.) You may also sell a binary produced
    by the dumping of a running Perl script that belongs to you, provided that you provide or offer
    to provide the Perl source as specified by the GPL. (The fact that a Perl interpreter and your
    code are in the same binary file is, in this case, a form of mere aggregation.) This is my
    interpretation of the GPL. If you still have concerns or difficulties understanding my intent,
    feel free to contact me. Of course, the Artistic License spells all this out for your
    protection, so you may prefer to use that.