Perl6::Classes 0.22

Perl6::Classes project contains first class classes in Perl 5.

SYNOPSIS

use Perl6::Classes;

class Composer {
submethod BUILD { print "Giving birth to a new composern" }
method compose { print "Writing some music...n" }
}

class ClassicalComposer is Composer {
method compose { print "Writing some muzak...n" }
}

class ModernComposer is Composer {
submethod BUILD($) { $.length = shift }
method compose() { print((map { int rand 10 } 1..$.length), "n") }
has $.length;
}

my $beethoven = new ClassicalComposer;
my $barber = new ModernComposer 4;
my $mahler = ModernComposer->new(400);

$beethoven->compose; # Writing some muzak...
$barber->compose # 7214
compose $mahler; # 89275869347968374698756....

Perl6::Classes allows the creation of (somewhat) Perl 6-style classes in Perl 5. The following features are currently supported:

subs, methods, and submethods
And their respective scoping rules.

Attributes
Which are available through the has keyword, and look like $.this.

Inheritance
Both single and multiple inheritance are available through the is keyword.

Signatures
Signatures on methods, subs, and submethods are supported, but just the Perl 5 kind.

Data hiding
Using the public, protected, and private traits, you can enforce (run-time) data hiding. This is not supported on attributes, which are always private.

Anonymous classes
That respect closures. You can now nest them inside methods of other classes, even other anonymous ones!

The Perl6::Classes module augments Perls syntax with a new declarator: class. It offers the advantage over Perls standard OO mechanism that it is conceptually easier to see (especially for those from a C++/Java background). It offers the disadvantage, of course, of being less versatile.