import - import all modules with the same package prefix, aliasing it away.

'import' acts as a pragma that performs a 'use' on all modules that can be found with the given package prefix. Any modules found have a 'use' statement performed, and the fully qualified package name is aliased to one without the given prefix. The functionality is similar to Java's 'import' statement.

    use import qw( org::w3c::dom );  # Loads all .pm's in org/w3c/dom/*

    my $e1 = Entity->new();          # Aliased org::w3c::dom::Entity
    my $e2 = org::w3c::dom::Entity->new(); # Same thing.
    my $a1 = Attr->new();            # Wow, this one too.
    my $er = EntityReference->new(); # Hey, all the classes are here.

This next example assumes a different program, since it would have already been 'use'd from the first example.

    use import qw( org::w3c::dom::Text ); # loads only this module
    my $e3 = Text->new();                 # Aliased org::w3c::dom::Text

'import' is a Perl pragma that performs a 'use' statement on all modules that can be found within the given package prefix. The primary intended use of the pragma is to make typing easier for people who are porting Java code to Perl. Java has the ability to import all classes defined within a class' own package, as well as a notation to import all classes defined with some external package. While there is an equivalent mechanism for doing so in Perl, the 'use' operator, it is limited to importing a single class at a time, and the class must be explicitly specified.

This pragma provides Perl with a friendly syntax for performing importing oodles of modules without the oodles of 'use' statements previous Perl programmers had to endure. In addition, you were required to know in advance the names of any modules you would be importing. Thus, Laziness was the primary motivation for writing this module.

Since it isn't really a module or class that is imported into your code, but rather a "helper" for the <C>use</C> operator, Hubris demanded this be developed as a "pragma" type of module. Pragmas are a rare and pretty special type of module, and writing of them occurs after much discussion over their necessity and they are usually authored by the perl-porters. I got Impatient waiting for one of them to see the need and write this module.

This module defines only one method, import(), as this is the module you are technically 'use'ing in your code.

No internal methods are defined.

No variables are exported.

No internal variables are defined.

The value returned by executing the package is 1 (or true).

This module is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.

Carp, DirHandle

This pragma removes itself from the %INC hash, allowing it to be 'use'd again.

mak - Michael King ( mike808@mo.net )

 import.pm
 v1.01 10/10/99 mak

 1.01 first posting to CPAN

 Copyright (C) 1997,1998 Michael King ( mike808@mo.net )
 Saint Louis, MO USA.

This module is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.

This module is copyright (c) 1997,1998 by Michael King ( mike808@mo.net ) and is made available to the Perl public under terms of the Artistic License used to cover Perl itself. See the file Artistic in the distribution of Perl 5.002 or later for details of copy and distribution terms.

The latest version of this module is likely to be available from:

 http://walden.mo.net/~mike808/LogCarp

The best place to discuss this code is via email with the author.