NAME

Const::Dual - numeric constants that know their names

SYNOPSIS

    # create constants
    use Const::Dual (
        TYPE_FOO => 1,
        TYPE_BAR => 2,
        # ... more constants ...
        TYPE_BAZ => 99,
    );

    $type = TYPE_BAR;
    print $type + 0;                               # 2
    print $type == 2 ? "bar" : "not bar";          # bar
    print $type == TYPE_BAR ? "bar" : "not bar";   # bar
    print "type = $type";                          # type = TYPE_BAR

    # create constants and store them in %TYPES
    use Const::Dual \%TYPES => (
        TYPE_FOO => 1,
        TYPE_BAR => 2,
        # ... more constants ...
        TYPE_BAZ => 99,
    );
    @EXPORT_OK = keys %TYPES;
    @EXPORT_TAGS = (types => [ keys %TYPES ]);

    # get dual value from non-dual value
    my $type = $ARGV[0] // 99;
    my %TYPES_REVERSE; @TYPES_REVERSE{ map { int $_ } values %TYPES } = values %TYPES;
    die "Invalid type $type" unless exists $TYPES_REVERSE{$type};
    $type = $TYPES_REVERSE{$type};
    print int $type;                               # 99
    print "type = $type";                          # type = TYPE_BAZ

    # dual constants are always true!
    use Const::Dual FALSE => 0;
    print int FALSE;                               # 0
    print "FALSE is ", FALSE ? "true" : "false";   # FALSE is true

DESCRIPTION

This module can be helpful when you use a lot of constants and really tired to deal with them. Numeric constants created with this module are dual (see "dualvar" in Scalar::Util). They have their given numeric values when are used in numeric context. When used in string context, such constants are strings with constants' names. This can be useful for debug purposes: constant's value "knows" constant's name and it can be printed. This behavior does not apply to non-numberic constants, they are created as usual.

CAVEATS

Developer should ALWAYS keep in mind that he works with dual values and should force numeric context when necessary. This is strict rule and it's violation can lead to bugs. Common ways to force numeric context is int $value or $value+0.

Dual constant in bool context is always TRUE, because one of constant's value is it's name and it can not be FALSE.

SOURCE

The development version is on github at https://github.com/bambr/Const-Dual

AUTHOR

Sergey Panteleev, <bambr@cpan.org>

COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE

Copyright (C) 2018 by Sergey Panteleev

This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself, either Perl version 5.8.8 or, at your option, any later version of Perl 5 you may have available.