PPIx::Regexp::Token::Modifier - Represent modifiers.

 use PPIx::Regexp::Dumper;
 PPIx::Regexp::Dumper->new( 'qr{foo}smx' )
     ->print();

The trailing smx will be represented by this class.

This class also represents the whole of things like (?ismx). But the modifiers in something like (?i:foo) are represented by a PPIx::Regexp::Token::GroupType::Modifier.

PPIx::Regexp::Token::Modifier is a PPIx::Regexp::Token.

PPIx::Regexp::Token::Modifier is the parent of PPIx::Regexp::Token::GroupType::Modifier.

This class represents modifier characters at the end of the regular expression. For example, in qr{foo}smx this class would represent the terminal smx.

The a, d, l, and u modifiers, introduced into the (?...) construction in Perl 5.13.6 (or 5.13.9 in the case of /a) are used to force either Unicode pattern semantics (u), locale semantics (l) default semantics (d the traditional Perl semantics, which can also mean 'dual' since it means Unicode if the string's UTF-8 bit is on, and locale if the UTF-8 bit is off), or restricted default semantics (a). These are mutually exclusive, and only one can be asserted at a time. Asserting any of these overrides the inherited value of any of the others. The asserted() method reports as asserted the last one it sees, or none of them if it has seen none.

For example, given PPIx::Regexp::Token::Modifier $elem representing the invalid regular expression fragment (?dul), $elem->asserted( 'l' ) would return true, but $elem->asserted( 'u' ) would return false. Note that $elem->negated( 'u' ) would also return false, since u is not explicitly negated.

If $elem represented regular expression fragment (?i), $elem->asserted( 'd' ) would return false, since even though d represents the default behavior it is not explicitly asserted.

Note that if this functionality is retracted before Perl 5.14 is released, support for it will disappear. See NOTICE in PPIx::Regexp for some explanation.

Calling ^ a modifier is a bit of a misnomer. The (?^...) construction was introduced in Perl 5.13.6, to prevent the inheritance of modifiers. The documentation calls the caret a shorthand equivalent for d-imsx, and that it the way this class handles it.

For example, given PPIx::Regexp::Token::Modifier $elem representing regular expression fragment (?^i), $elem->asserted( 'd' ) would return true, since in the absence of an explicit l or u this class considers the ^ to explicitly assert d.

Note that if this is retracted before Perl 5.14 is released, this support will disappear. See NOTICE in PPIx::Regexp for some explanation.

This class provides the following public methods. Methods not documented here are private, and unsupported in the sense that the author reserves the right to change or remove them without notice.

 $token->asserts( 'i' ) and print "token asserts i";
 foreach ( $token->asserts() ) { print "token asserts $_\n" }

This method returns true if the token explicitly asserts the given modifier. The example would return true for the modifier in (?i:foo), but false for (?-i:foo).

If called without an argument, or with an undef argument, all modifiers explicitly asserted by this token are returned.

 my $sem = $token->match_semantics();
 defined $sem or $sem = 'undefined';
 print "This token has $sem match semantics\n";

This method returns the match semantics asserted by the token, as one of the letters a, d, l, or u. If no explicit match semantics are asserted, this method returns undef.

 my %mods = $token->modifiers();

Returns all modifiers asserted or negated by this token, and the values set (true for asserted, false for negated). If called in scalar context, returns a reference to a hash containing the values.

 $token->negates( 'i' ) and print "token negates i\n";
 foreach ( $token->negates() ) { print "token negates $_\n" }

This method returns true if the token explicitly negates the given modifier. The example would return true for the modifier in (?-i:foo), but false for (?i:foo).

If called without an argument, or with an undef argument, all modifiers explicitly negated by this token are returned.

Support is by the author. Please file bug reports at http://rt.cpan.org, or in electronic mail to the author.

Thomas R. Wyant, III wyant at cpan dot org

Copyright (C) 2009-2011 by Thomas R. Wyant, III

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl 5.10.0. For more details, see the full text of the licenses in the directory LICENSES.

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.