August 2023 Archives

The Hidden Power of Prototypes

Introduction

I have been leaning very heavily on Perl's prototype feature for creating new modules. The imptetus for this can traced back to the day I looked at the source code for Try::Tiny, and realized that it was implemented using prototypes. The main reason for using prototypes for many new modules I've created recently is my focus on making a thing I do repeatedly available in a more Perlish or idiomatic way.

Required reading if you have not and are about to dive into an article about prototypes: Far More Than Everything You've Ever Wanted to Know about Prototypes in Perl by Tom Christiansen.

The following article demonstrates 2 CPAN modules I have written that focus more on Perl programmer UX and why Perl prototypes can provide a way forward for a great many ideas that people have. Prototypes misunderstood, yes; but more so, they are misunderestimated. They are infact, very powerful and when used for their intended purpose; a lot of hand wringing can be avoided during feature discussions.

About Brett Estrade

user-pic PAUSE Id: OODLER