NAME
Require::HookChain - Chainable require hooks
VERSION
This document describes version 0.015 of Require::HookChain (from Perl
distribution Require-HookChain), released on 2023-07-23.
SYNOPSIS
Say you want to create a require hook to prepend some code to the module
source code that is loaded. In your hook source, in
Require/HookChain/munge/prepend.pm:
package Require::HookChain::munge::prepend;
sub new {
# our hook accepts one argument: preamble (the string to be prepended)
my ($class, $preamble) = @_;
bless { preamble => $preamble }, $class;
}
sub Require::HookChain::munge::prepend::INC {
# instead a filename like a reguler hook, an hook's INC is called by
# Require::HookChain's main INC and will be passed $r stash
my ($self, $r) = @_;
# safety, in case we are not called by Require::HookChain
return () unless ref $r;
my $src = $r->src;
# we only munge source code, when source code has not been loaded by other
# hooks, we decline.
return unless defined $src;
$src = "$self->{preamble};\n$src";
$r->src($src);
}
1;
In a code to use this hook:
use Require::HookChain -end=>1, 'munge::prepend' => 'use strict';
use Foo::Bar; # Foo/Bar.pm will be loaded with added 'use strict;' at the start
Install other hooks, but put it at the end of @INC instead of at the
beginning:
use Require::HookChain -end=>1, 'munge::append' => 'some code';
use Require::HookChain 'log::stderr'; # log each loading of module to stderr
DESCRIPTION
This module lets you create chainable require hooks. As one already
understands, Perl lets you put a coderef or object in @INC. In the case
of object, its "INC" method will be called by Perl:
package My::INCHandler;
sub new { ... }
sub My::INCHandler::INC {
my ($self, $filename) = @_;
...
}
The method is passed itself then filename (which is what is passed to
require()) and is expected to return nothing or a list of up to four
values: a scalar reference containing source code, filehandle, reference
to subroutine, optional state for subroutine (more information can be
read from the perlfunc manpage). As soon as the first hook in @INC
returns non-empty value then the search for source code is stopped.
With "Require::HookChain", you can put multiple hooks in @INC that all
get executed. When "use"'d, "Require::HookChain" will install its own
hook at the beginning of @INC which will search for source code in @INC
as well as execute "INC" method of all the other hooks which are
instances of "Require::HookChain::*" class. Instead of filename, the
method is passed a "Require::HookChain::r" object ($r). The method can
do things on $r, for example retrieve source code via "$r->src" or
modify source code via "$r->src($new_content)". After the method
returns, the next "Require::HookChain::*" hook is executed, and so on.
The final source code will be retrieved from "$r->src" and returned for
Perl.
This lets one chainable hook munge the result of the previous chainable
hook.
To create your own chainable require hook, see example in "SYNOPSIS".
First you create a module under the "Require::HookChain::*" namespace,
then create a constructor as well as "INC" handler.
Import options
Options must be specified at the beginning, before specifying
* -end
Bool. If set to true, then hooks will be put at the end of @INC
instead of at the beginning (after Require::HookChain's own hook).
Regardless, Require::HookChain's own hook will be put at the
beginning to allow executing all the other hooks.
* -debug
Bool. If set to true, then debug messages will be printed to stderr.
Hook ordering
The order of execution of hooks by Require::HookChain is by their order
in @INC, so you should set the ordering yourself by way of the (reverse)
ordering of "use Require::HookChain" statements. Each time you do this:
use Require::HookChain 'hook1';
then Require::HookChain will (re)install its own hook to the beginning
of @INC, then insert "hook1" as the second element in @INC. Then when
you load another hook:
use Require::HookChain 'hook2';
then Require::HookChain will (re)install its own hook to the beginning
of @INC, then insert "hook2" as the second element in @INC, while
"hook1" will be at the third element of @INC. So the order of hook
execution will be: "hook2, hook1". When another hook, "hook3", is loaded
afterwards, the order of execution will be "hook3, hook2, hook1".
Some hooks should be loaded at the end of other hooks (and sources),
e.g. debug::dump_source::stderr, so you should install such hooks using
something like:
use Require::HookChain -end=>1, 'hook4';
in which case Require::HookChain will again (re)install its own hook to
the beginning of @INC, then insert "hook4" as the last element in @INC.
The order of execution of hooks will then be: "hook3, hook2, hook1,
hook4". If you install another hook at the end:
use Require::HookChain -end=>1, 'hook5';
then the order of execution of hooks will then be: "hook3, hook2, hook1,
hook4, hook5".
Subnamespace organization
* Require::HookChain::debug::
Hooks that do debugging-related stuffs. See also: "log::"
subnamespace, "timestamp::" subnamespace.
* Require::HookChain::log::
Hooks that add logging to module loading process. See also:
"debug::" subnamespace.
* Require::HookChain::munge::
Hooks that modify source code.
* Require::HookChain::postcheck::
Hooks that perform checks after the source code is loaded (eval-ed).
See also "precheck::" subnamespace.
* Require::HookChain::precheck::
Hooks that perform checks before the source code is loaded
(eval-ed). See also "postcheck::" subnamespace.
* Require::HookChain::source::
Hooks that allow loading module source from alternative sources.
* Require::HookChain::test::
Testing-related, particularly testing the Require::HookCHain hook
module itself.
* Require::HookChain::timestamp::
Hooks that add timestamps during module loading process.
Require::HookChain::r OBJECT
Methods
filename
Usage:
my $filename = $r->filename;
src
Usage:
my $src = $r->src;
$r->src($new_src);
Get or set source code content. Will return undef if source code has not
been found or set.
FAQ
Loading a hook does nothing!
Make sure you use a hook this way:
use Require::HookChain 'hookname'; # correct
instead of:
use Require::HookChain::hookname; # INCORRECT, this does not install the hook to @INC
The order of execution of hooks is incorrect!
You control the ordering by putting the hooks in @INC in your preferred
order. See "Hook ordering" for more details.
HOMEPAGE
Please visit the project's homepage at
<https://metacpan.org/release/Require-HookChain>.
SOURCE
Source repository is at
<https://github.com/perlancar/perl-Require-HookChain>.
SEE ALSO
RHC for convenience of using on the command-line or one-liners.
Require::Hook is an older framework and is superseded by
Require::HookChain.q
AUTHOR
perlancar <perlancar@cpan.org>
CONTRIBUTING
To contribute, you can send patches by email/via RT, or send pull
requests on GitHub.
Most of the time, you don't need to build the distribution yourself. You
can simply modify the code, then test via:
% prove -l
If you want to build the distribution (e.g. to try to install it locally
on your system), you can install Dist::Zilla,
Dist::Zilla::PluginBundle::Author::PERLANCAR,
Pod::Weaver::PluginBundle::Author::PERLANCAR, and sometimes one or two
other Dist::Zilla- and/or Pod::Weaver plugins. Any additional steps
required beyond that are considered a bug and can be reported to me.
COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE
This software is copyright (c) 2023, 2022, 2020, 2017 by perlancar
<perlancar@cpan.org>.
This is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
the same terms as the Perl 5 programming language system itself.
BUGS
Please report any bugs or feature requests on the bugtracker website
<https://rt.cpan.org/Public/Dist/Display.html?Name=Require-HookChain>
When submitting a bug or request, please include a test-file or a patch
to an existing test-file that illustrates the bug or desired feature.