NAME
Package::Variant - Parameterizable packages
SYNOPSIS
Creation of anonymous variants:
# declaring a variable Moo role
package My::VariableRole::ObjectAttr;
use strictures 2;
use Package::Variant
# what modules to 'use'
importing => ['Moo::Role'],
# proxied subroutines
subs => [ qw(has around before after with) ];
sub make_variant {
my ($class, $target_package, %arguments) = @_;
# access arguments
my $name = $arguments{name};
# use proxied 'has' to add an attribute
has $name => (is => 'lazy');
# install a builder method
install "_build_${name}" => sub {
return $arguments{class}->new;
};
}
# using the role
package My::Class::WithObjectAttr;
use strictures 2;
use Moo;
use My::VariableRole::ObjectAttr;
with ObjectAttr(name => 'some_obj', class => 'Some::Class');
# using our class
my $obj = My::Class::WithObjectAttr->new;
$obj->some_obj; # returns a Some::Class instance
And the same thing, only with named variants:
# declaring a variable Moo role that can be named
package My::VariableRole::ObjectAttrNamed;
use strictures 2;
use Package::Variant importing => ['Moo::Role'],
subs => [ qw(has around before after with) ];
use Module::Runtime 'module_notional_filename'; # only if you need protection
# this method is run at variant creation time to determine its custom
# package name. it can use the arguments or do something entirely else.
sub make_variant_package_name {
my ($class, $package, %arguments) = @_;
$package = "Private::$package"; # you can munge the input here if you like
# only if you *need* protection
die "Won't clobber $package" if $INC{module_notional_filename $package};
return $package;
}
# same as in the example above, except for the argument list. in this example
# $package is the user input, and
# $target_package is the actual package in which the variant gets installed
sub make_variant {
my ($class, $target_package, $package, %arguments) = @_;
my $name = $arguments{name};
has $name => (is => 'lazy');
install "_build_${name}" => sub {return $arguments{class}->new};
}
# using the role
package My::Class::WithObjectAttr;
use strictures 2;
use Moo;
use My::VariableRole::ObjectAttrNamed;
# create the role under a specific name
ObjectAttrNamed "My::Role" => (name => 'some_obj', class => 'Some::Class');
# and use it
with "Private::My::Role";
# using our class
my $obj = My::Class::WithObjectAttr->new;
$obj->some_obj; # returns a Some::Class instance
DESCRIPTION
This module allows you to build a variable package that contains a
package template and can use it to build variant packages at runtime.
Your variable package will export a subroutine which will build a
variant package, combining its arguments with the template, and return
the name of the new variant package.
The implementation does not care about what kind of packages it builds,
be they simple function exporters, classes, singletons or something
entirely different.
Declaring a variable package
There are two important parts to creating a variable package. You first
have to give "Package::Variant" some basic information about what kind
of variant packages you want to provide, and how. The second part is
implementing a method which builds the components of the variant
packages that use the user's arguments or cannot be provided with a
static import.
Setting up the environment for building variants
When you "use Package::Variant", you pass along some arguments that
describe how you intend to build your variants.
use Package::Variant
importing => { $package => \@import_arguments, ... },
subs => [ @proxied_subroutine_names ];
The "importing" option needs to be a hash or array reference with
package names to be "use"d as keys, and array references containing the
import arguments as values. These packages will be imported into every
new variant package, to provide static functionality of the variant
packages and to set up every declarative subroutine you require to build
variants package components. The next option will allow you to use these
functions. See "importing" for more options. You can omit empty import
argument lists when passing an array reference.
The "subs" option is an array reference of subroutine names that are
exported by the packages specified with "importing". These subroutines
will be proxied from your variable package to the variant to be
generated.
With "importing" initializing your package and "subs" declaring what
subroutines you want to use to build a variant, you can now write a
"make_variant" method building your variants.
Declaring a method to produce variants
Every time a user requests a new variant, a method named "make_variant"
will be called with the name of the target package and the arguments
from the user.
It can then use the proxied subroutines declared with "subs" to
customize the variant package. An "install" subroutine is exported as
well allowing you to dynamically install methods into the variant
package. If these options aren't flexible enough, you can use the passed
name of the variant package to do any other kind of customizations.
sub make_variant {
my ($class, $target, @arguments) = @_;
# ...
# customization goes here
# ...
}
When the method is finished, the user will receive the name of the new
variant package you just set up.
Using variable packages
After your variable package is created your users can get a variant
generator subroutine by simply importing your package.
use My::Variant;
my $new_variant_package = Variant(@variant_arguments);
# the variant package is now fully initialized and used
You can import the subroutine under a different name by specifying an
"as" argument.
Dynamic creation of variant packages
For regular uses, the normal import provides more than enough
flexibility. However, if you want to create variants of dynamically
determined packages, you can use the "build_variant_of" method.
You can use this to create variants of other packages and pass arguments
on to them to allow more modular and extensible variants.
OPTIONS
These are the options that can be passed when importing
"Package::Variant". They describe the environment in which the variants
are created.
use Package::Variant
importing => { $package => \@import_arguments, ... },
subs => [ @proxied_subroutines ];
importing
This option is a hash reference mapping package names to array
references containing import arguments. The packages will be imported
with the given arguments by every variant before the "make_variant"
method is asked to create the package (this is done using Import::Into).
If import order is important to you, you can also pass the "importing"
arguments as a flat array reference:
use Package::Variant
importing => [ 'PackageA', 'PackageB' ];
# same as
use Package::Variant
importing => [ 'PackageA' => [], 'PackageB' => [] ];
# or
use Package::Variant
importing => { 'PackageA' => [], 'PackageB' => [] };
The import method will be called even if the list of import arguments is
empty or not specified,
If you just want to import a single package's default exports, you can
also pass a string instead:
use Package::Variant importing => 'Package';
subs
An array reference of strings listing the names of subroutines that
should be proxied. These subroutines are expected to be installed into
the new variant package by the modules imported with "importing".
Subroutines with the same name will be available in your variable
package, and will proxy through to the newly created package when used
within "make_variant".
VARIABLE PACKAGE METHODS
These are methods on the variable package you declare when you import
"Package::Variant".
make_variant
Some::Variant::Package->make_variant( $target, @arguments );
You need to provide this method. This method will be called for every
new variant of your package. This method should use the subroutines
declared in "subs" to customize the new variant package.
This is a class method receiving the $target package and the @arguments
defining the requested variant.
make_variant_package_name
Some::Variant::Package->make_variant_package_name( @arguments );
You may optionally provide this method. If present, this method will be
used to determine the package name for a particular variant being
constructed.
If you do not implement it, a unique package name something like
Some::Variant::Package::_Variant_A003
will be created for you.
import
use Some::Variant::Package;
my $variant_package = Package( @arguments );
This method is provided for you. It will allow a user to "use" your
package and receive a subroutine taking @arguments defining the variant
and returning the name of the newly created variant package.
The following options can be specified when importing:
* as
use Some::Variant::Package as => 'Foo';
my $variant_package = Foo(@arguments);
Exports the generator subroutine under a different name than the
default.
build_variant
use Some::Variant::Package ();
my $variant_package = Some::Variant::Package->build_variant( @arguments );
This method is provided for you. It will generate a variant package and
return its name, just like the generator sub provided by "import". This
allows you to avoid importing anything into the consuming package.
"Package::Variant" METHODS
These methods are available on "Package::Variant" itself.
build_variant_of
my $variant_package = Package::Variant
->build_variant_of($variable_package, @arguments);
This is the dynamic method of creating new variants. It takes the
$variable_package, which is a pre-declared variable package, and a set
of @arguments passed to the package to generate a new $variant_package,
which will be returned.
import
use Package::Variant @options;
Sets up the environment in which you declare the variants of your
packages. See "OPTIONS" for details on the available options and
"EXPORTS" for a list of exported subroutines.
EXPORTS
Additionally to the proxies for subroutines provided in "subs", the
following exports will be available in your variable package:
install
install($method_name, $code_reference);
Installs a method with the given $method_name into the newly created
variant package. The $code_reference will be used as the body for the
method, and if Sub::Name is available the coderef will be named. If you
want to name it something else, then use:
install($method_name, $name_to_use, $code_reference);
AUTHOR
mst - Matt S. Trout (cpan:MSTROUT) <mst@shadowcat.co.uk>
CONTRIBUTORS
phaylon - Robert Sedlacek (cpan:PHAYLON) <r.sedlacek@shadowcat.co.uk>
haarg - Graham Knop (cpan:HAARG) <haarg@haarg.org>
COPYRIGHT
Copyright (c) 2010-2012 the "Package::Variant" "AUTHOR" and
"CONTRIBUTORS" as listed above.
LICENSE
This library is free software and may be distributed under the same
terms as perl itself.