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.\" ========================================================================
.\"
.IX Title "Scalar::Util 3pm"
.TH Scalar::Util 3pm 2023-11-28 "perl v5.38.2" "Perl Programmers Reference Guide"
.\" For nroff, turn off justification.  Always turn off hyphenation; it makes
.\" way too many mistakes in technical documents.
.if n .ad l
.nh
.SH NAME
Scalar::Util \- A selection of general\-utility scalar subroutines
.SH SYNOPSIS
.IX Header "SYNOPSIS"
.Vb 4
\&    use Scalar::Util qw(blessed dualvar isdual readonly refaddr reftype
\&                        tainted weaken isweak isvstring looks_like_number
\&                        set_prototype);
\&                        # and other useful utils appearing below
.Ve
.SH DESCRIPTION
.IX Header "DESCRIPTION"
\&\f(CW\*(C`Scalar::Util\*(C'\fR contains a selection of subroutines that people have expressed
would be nice to have in the perl core, but the usage would not really be high
enough to warrant the use of a keyword, and the size would be so small that 
being individual extensions would be wasteful.
.PP
By default \f(CW\*(C`Scalar::Util\*(C'\fR does not export any subroutines.
.ie n .SS "Core Perl ""builtin"" Functions"
.el .SS "Core Perl \f(CWbuiltin\fP Functions"
.IX Subsection "Core Perl builtin Functions"
Many functions in this module have served as the inspiration for a new
experimental facility in recent versions of Perl. From various development
versions, starting at 5.35.7, equivalent functions to many of these utilities
are available in the \f(CW\*(C`builtin::\*(C'\fR package.
.PP
.Vb 1
\&    use Scalar::Util qw(blessed);
\&
\&    $class = blessed $obj;
\&
\&    $class = builtin::blessed $obj;  # equivalent
.Ve
.PP
For more information, see the documentation on builtin.
.SH "FUNCTIONS FOR REFERENCES"
.IX Header "FUNCTIONS FOR REFERENCES"
The following functions all perform some useful activity on reference values.
.SS blessed
.IX Subsection "blessed"
.Vb 1
\&    my $pkg = blessed( $ref );
.Ve
.PP
If \f(CW$ref\fR is a blessed reference, the name of the package that it is blessed
into is returned. Otherwise \f(CW\*(C`undef\*(C'\fR is returned.
.PP
.Vb 2
\&    $scalar = "foo";
\&    $class  = blessed $scalar;           # undef
\&
\&    $ref    = [];
\&    $class  = blessed $ref;              # undef
\&
\&    $obj    = bless [], "Foo";
\&    $class  = blessed $obj;              # "Foo"
.Ve
.PP
Take care when using this function simply as a truth test (such as in
\&\f(CW\*(C`if(blessed $ref)...\*(C'\fR) because the package name \f(CW"0"\fR is defined yet false.
.PP
\&\fISince Perl version 5.35.7\fR an equivalent function is available as
\&\f(CW\*(C`builtin::blessed\*(C'\fR.
.SS refaddr
.IX Subsection "refaddr"
.Vb 1
\&    my $addr = refaddr( $ref );
.Ve
.PP
If \f(CW$ref\fR is reference, the internal memory address of the referenced value is
returned as a plain integer. Otherwise \f(CW\*(C`undef\*(C'\fR is returned.
.PP
.Vb 3
\&    $addr = refaddr "string";           # undef
\&    $addr = refaddr \e$var;              # eg 12345678
\&    $addr = refaddr [];                 # eg 23456784
\&
\&    $obj  = bless {}, "Foo";
\&    $addr = refaddr $obj;               # eg 88123488
.Ve
.PP
\&\fISince Perl version 5.35.7\fR an equivalent function is available as
\&\f(CW\*(C`builtin::refaddr\*(C'\fR.
.SS reftype
.IX Subsection "reftype"
.Vb 1
\&    my $type = reftype( $ref );
.Ve
.PP
If \f(CW$ref\fR is a reference, the basic Perl type of the variable referenced is
returned as a plain string (such as \f(CW\*(C`ARRAY\*(C'\fR or \f(CW\*(C`HASH\*(C'\fR). Otherwise \f(CW\*(C`undef\*(C'\fR
is returned.
.PP
.Vb 3
\&    $type = reftype "string";           # undef
\&    $type = reftype \e$var;              # SCALAR
\&    $type = reftype [];                 # ARRAY
\&
\&    $obj  = bless {}, "Foo";
\&    $type = reftype $obj;               # HASH
.Ve
.PP
Note that for internal reasons, all precompiled regexps (\f(CW\*(C`qr/.../\*(C'\fR) are
blessed references; thus \f(CWref()\fR returns the package name string \f(CW"Regexp"\fR
on these but \f(CWreftype()\fR will return the underlying C structure type of
\&\f(CW"REGEXP"\fR in all capitals.
.PP
\&\fISince Perl version 5.35.7\fR an equivalent function is available as
\&\f(CW\*(C`builtin::reftype\*(C'\fR.
.SS weaken
.IX Subsection "weaken"
.Vb 1
\&    weaken( $ref );
.Ve
.PP
The lvalue \f(CW$ref\fR will be turned into a weak reference. This means that it
will not hold a reference count on the object it references. Also, when the
reference count on that object reaches zero, the reference will be set to
undef. This function mutates the lvalue passed as its argument and returns no
value.
.PP
This is useful for keeping copies of references, but you don't want to prevent
the object being DESTROY-ed at its usual time.
.PP
.Vb 6
\&    {
\&      my $var;
\&      $ref = \e$var;
\&      weaken($ref);                     # Make $ref a weak reference
\&    }
\&    # $ref is now undef
.Ve
.PP
Note that if you take a copy of a scalar with a weakened reference, the copy
will be a strong reference.
.PP
.Vb 4
\&    my $var;
\&    my $foo = \e$var;
\&    weaken($foo);                       # Make $foo a weak reference
\&    my $bar = $foo;                     # $bar is now a strong reference
.Ve
.PP
This may be less obvious in other situations, such as \f(CWgrep()\fR, for instance
when grepping through a list of weakened references to objects that may have
been destroyed already:
.PP
.Vb 1
\&    @object = grep { defined } @object;
.Ve
.PP
This will indeed remove all references to destroyed objects, but the remaining
references to objects will be strong, causing the remaining objects to never be
destroyed because there is now always a strong reference to them in the \f(CW@object\fR
array.
.PP
\&\fISince Perl version 5.35.7\fR an equivalent function is available as
\&\f(CW\*(C`builtin::weaken\*(C'\fR.
.SS unweaken
.IX Subsection "unweaken"
.Vb 1
\&    unweaken( $ref );
.Ve
.PP
\&\fISince version 1.36.\fR
.PP
The lvalue \f(CW\*(C`REF\*(C'\fR will be turned from a weak reference back into a normal
(strong) reference again. This function mutates the lvalue passed as its
argument and returns no value. This undoes the action performed by
"weaken".
.PP
This function is slightly neater and more convenient than the
otherwise-equivalent code
.PP
.Vb 3
\&    my $tmp = $REF;
\&    undef $REF;
\&    $REF = $tmp;
.Ve
.PP
(because in particular, simply assigning a weak reference back to itself does
not work to unweaken it; \f(CW\*(C`$REF = $REF\*(C'\fR does not work).
.PP
\&\fISince Perl version 5.35.7\fR an equivalent function is available as
\&\f(CW\*(C`builtin::unweaken\*(C'\fR.
.SS isweak
.IX Subsection "isweak"
.Vb 1
\&    my $weak = isweak( $ref );
.Ve
.PP
Returns true if \f(CW$ref\fR is a weak reference.
.PP
.Vb 4
\&    $ref  = \e$foo;
\&    $weak = isweak($ref);               # false
\&    weaken($ref);
\&    $weak = isweak($ref);               # true
.Ve
.PP
\&\fBNOTE\fR: Copying a weak reference creates a normal, strong, reference.
.PP
.Vb 2
\&    $copy = $ref;
\&    $weak = isweak($copy);              # false
.Ve
.PP
\&\fISince Perl version 5.35.7\fR an equivalent function is available as
\&\f(CW\*(C`builtin::is_weak\*(C'\fR.
.SH "OTHER FUNCTIONS"
.IX Header "OTHER FUNCTIONS"
.SS dualvar
.IX Subsection "dualvar"
.Vb 1
\&    my $var = dualvar( $num, $string );
.Ve
.PP
Returns a scalar that has the value \f(CW$num\fR in a numeric context and the value
\&\f(CW$string\fR in a string context.
.PP
.Vb 3
\&    $foo = dualvar 10, "Hello";
\&    $num = $foo + 2;                    # 12
\&    $str = $foo . " world";             # Hello world
.Ve
.SS isdual
.IX Subsection "isdual"
.Vb 1
\&    my $dual = isdual( $var );
.Ve
.PP
\&\fISince version 1.26.\fR
.PP
If \f(CW$var\fR is a scalar that has both numeric and string values, the result is
true.
.PP
.Vb 2
\&    $foo = dualvar 86, "Nix";
\&    $dual = isdual($foo);               # true
.Ve
.PP
Note that a scalar can be made to have both string and numeric content through
standard operations:
.PP
.Vb 4
\&    $foo = "10";
\&    $dual = isdual($foo);               # false
\&    $bar = $foo + 0;
\&    $dual = isdual($foo);               # true
.Ve
.PP
The \f(CW$!\fR variable is commonly dual-valued, though it is also magical in other
ways:
.PP
.Vb 3
\&    $! = 1;
\&    $dual = isdual($!);                 # true
\&    print("$!\en");                      # "Operation not permitted"
.Ve
.PP
\&\fBCAUTION\fR: This function is not as useful as it may seem. Dualvars are not a
distinct concept in Perl, but a standard internal construct of all scalar
values. Almost any value could be considered as a dualvar by this function
through the course of normal operations.
.SS isvstring
.IX Subsection "isvstring"
.Vb 1
\&    my $vstring = isvstring( $var );
.Ve
.PP
If \f(CW$var\fR is a scalar which was coded as a vstring, the result is true.
.PP
.Vb 3
\&    $vs   = v49.46.48;
\&    $fmt  = isvstring($vs) ? "%vd" : "%s"; #true
\&    printf($fmt,$vs);
.Ve
.SS looks_like_number
.IX Subsection "looks_like_number"
.Vb 1
\&    my $isnum = looks_like_number( $var );
.Ve
.PP
Returns true if perl thinks \f(CW$var\fR is a number. See
"looks_like_number" in perlapi.
.SS openhandle
.IX Subsection "openhandle"
.Vb 1
\&    my $fh = openhandle( $fh );
.Ve
.PP
Returns \f(CW$fh\fR itself, if \f(CW$fh\fR may be used as a filehandle and is open, or if
it is a tied handle. Otherwise \f(CW\*(C`undef\*(C'\fR is returned.
.PP
.Vb 4
\&    $fh = openhandle(*STDIN);           # \e*STDIN
\&    $fh = openhandle(\e*STDIN);          # \e*STDIN
\&    $fh = openhandle(*NOTOPEN);         # undef
\&    $fh = openhandle("scalar");         # undef
.Ve
.SS readonly
.IX Subsection "readonly"
.Vb 1
\&    my $ro = readonly( $var );
.Ve
.PP
Returns true if \f(CW$var\fR is readonly.
.PP
.Vb 1
\&    sub foo { readonly($_[0]) }
\&
\&    $readonly = foo($bar);              # false
\&    $readonly = foo(0);                 # true
.Ve
.SS set_prototype
.IX Subsection "set_prototype"
.Vb 1
\&    my $code = set_prototype( $code, $prototype );
.Ve
.PP
Sets the prototype of the function given by the \f(CW$code\fR reference, or deletes
it if \f(CW$prototype\fR is \f(CW\*(C`undef\*(C'\fR. Returns the \f(CW$code\fR reference itself.
.PP
.Vb 1
\&    set_prototype \e&foo, \*(Aq$$\*(Aq;
.Ve
.SS tainted
.IX Subsection "tainted"
.Vb 1
\&    my $t = tainted( $var );
.Ve
.PP
Return true if \f(CW$var\fR is tainted.
.PP
.Vb 2
\&    $taint = tainted("constant");       # false
\&    $taint = tainted($ENV{PWD});        # true if running under \-T
.Ve
.SH DIAGNOSTICS
.IX Header "DIAGNOSTICS"
Module use may give one of the following errors during import.
.IP "Vstrings are not implemented in this version of perl" 4
.IX Item "Vstrings are not implemented in this version of perl"
The version of perl that you are using does not implement Vstrings, to use
"isvstring" you will need to use a newer release of perl.
.SH "KNOWN BUGS"
.IX Header "KNOWN BUGS"
There is a bug in perl5.6.0 with UV's that are >= 1<<31. This will
show up as tests 8 and 9 of dualvar.t failing
.SH "SEE ALSO"
.IX Header "SEE ALSO"
List::Util
.SH COPYRIGHT
.IX Header "COPYRIGHT"
Copyright (c) 1997\-2007 Graham Barr <gbarr@pobox.com>. All rights reserved.
This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
under the same terms as Perl itself.
.PP
Additionally "weaken" and "isweak" which are
.PP
Copyright (c) 1999 Tuomas J. Lukka <lukka@iki.fi>. All rights reserved.
This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
under the same terms as perl itself.
.PP
Copyright (C) 2004, 2008  Matthijs van Duin.  All rights reserved.
Copyright (C) 2014 cPanel Inc.  All rights reserved.
This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
it under the same terms as Perl itself.