NAME

DynScalar - closure-in-a-box for simple scalars

SYNOPSIS

      use DynScalar;  # imports as dynamic()
      use strict;
      use vars '$name';
      
      my $foo = dynamic { "Hello, $name!\n" };
      for $name ("Jeff", "Joe", "Jonas") { print $foo }

DESCRIPTION

This module creates closures, and masks them as objects that stringify themselves when used. This allows you to make incredibly simplistic string templates:

      use DynScalar 'delay';  # import as delay()
      use strict;
      use vars qw( $name $age $sex );
      
      my $template = delay {
        "Hello, $name.  You're a good-looking $age-year-old $sex.\n"
      };
      
      while (my $rec = get_person()) {
        ($name,$age,$sex) = $rec->features;
        print $template;
      }

You can embed arbitrarily complex code in the block.

CAVEATS

Lexically scoped variables can be used inside the block, but you must do so with caution. The variable must be visible, as in this example:

use DynScalar;

      my $name;
      my $str = dynamic { $name };
      for ("Jeff", "Joe", "Jonas") { $name = $_; print $str }

If you use the lexically scoped variable as the iterator variable in the loop, however, Perl will scope it even further, and the `DynScalar' object will not be able to see it:

use DynScalar;

      my $name;
      my $str = dynamic { $name };
      # this next line will not print as you hoped
      for $name ("Jeff", "Joe", "Jonas") { print $str }

AUTHOR

      Jeff "japhy" Pinyan
      CPAN ID: PINYAN
      japhy@pobox.com
      http://www.pobox.com/~japhy/