Class::Generate 1.09

Class::Generate is a Perl module that can generate Perl class hierarchies.

SYNOPSIS

use Class::Generate qw(class subclass delete_class);

# Declare class Class_Name, with the following types of members:
class
Class_Name => [
s => $, # scalar
a => @, # array
h => %, # hash
c => Class, # Class
c_a => @Class, # array of Class
c_h => %Class, # hash of Class
&m => body, # method
];

# Allocate an instance of class_name, with members initialized to the
# given values (pass arrays and hashes using references).
$obj = Class_Name->new ( s => scalar,
a => [ values ],
h => { key1 => v1, ... },
c => Class->new,
c_a => [ Class->new, ... ],
c_h => [ key1 => Class->new, ... ] );

# Scalar type accessor:
$obj->s($value); # Assign $value to member s.
$member_value = $obj->s; # Access members value.

# (Class) Array type accessor:
$obj->a([value1, value2, ...]); # Assign whole array to member.
$obj->a(2, $value); # Assign $value to array member 2.
$obj->add_a($value); # Append $value to end of array.
@a = $obj->a; # Access whole array.
$ary_member_value = $obj->a(2); # Access array member 2.
$s = $obj->a_size; # Return size of array.
$value = $obj->last_a; # Return last element of array.

# (Class) Hash type accessor:
$obj->h({ k_1=>v1, ..., k_n=>v_n }) # Assign whole hash to member.
$obj->h($key, $value); # Assign $value to hash member $key.
%hash = $obj->h; # Access whole hash.
$hash_member_value = $obj->h($key); # Access hash member value $key.
$obj->delete_h($key); # Delete slot occupied by $key.
@keys = $obj->h_keys; # Access keys of member h.
@values = $obj->h_values; # Access values of member h.

$another = $obj->copy; # Copy an object.
if ( $obj->equals($another) ) { ... } # Test equality.

subclass s => [ ], -parent => class_name;

The Class::Generate package exports functions that take as arguments a class specification and create from these specifications a Perl 5 class. The specification language allows many object-oriented constructs: typed members, inheritance, private members, required members, default values, object methods, class methods, class variables, and more.

CPAN contains similar packages. Why another? Because object-oriented programming, especially in a dynamic language like Perl, is a complicated endeavor. I wanted a package that would work very hard to catch the errors you (well, I anyway) commonly make. I wanted a package that could help me enforce the contract of object-oriented programming. I also wanted it to get out of my way when I asked.