NAME Sub::Op - Install subroutines as opcodes. VERSION Version 0.02 SYNOPSIS In your XS file : #include "sub_op.h" STATIC OP *scalar_util_reftype(pTHX) { dSP; dMARK; SV *sv = POPs; if (SvMAGICAL(sv)) mg_get(sv); if (SvROK(sv)) PUSHs(sv_reftype(SvRV(sv), 0)); else PUSHs(&PL_sv_undef); RETURN; } MODULE = Scalar::Util::Ops PACKAGE = Scalar::Util::Ops BOOT: { sub_op_config_t c; c.name = "reftype"; c.namelen = sizeof("reftype")-1; c.pp = scalar_util_reftype; c.check = 0; c.ud = NULL; sub_op_register(aTHX_ &c); } In your Perl module file : package Scalar::Util::Ops; use strict; use warnings; our ($VERSION, @ISA); use Sub::Op; # Before loading our own shared library BEGIN { $VERSION = '0.01'; require DynaLoader; push @ISA, 'DynaLoader'; __PACKAGE__->bootstrap($VERSION); } sub import { Sub::Op::enable(reftype => scalar caller) } sub unimport { Sub::Op::disable(reftype => scalar caller) } 1; In your Makefile.PL : use ExtUtils::Depends; my $ed = ExtUtils::Depends->new('Scalar::Util::Ops' => 'Sub::Op'); WriteMakefile( $ed->get_makefile_vars, ... ); DESCRIPTION This module provides a C and Perl API for replacing subroutine calls by custom opcodes. This has two main advantages : * it gets rid of the overhead of a normal subroutine call ; * there's no symbol table entry defined for the subroutine. Subroutine calls with and without parenthesis are handled. Ampersand calls are not replaced, and as such will still allow to call a subroutine with same name defined earlier. This may or may not be considered as a bug, but it gives the same semantics as Perl keywords, so I believe it's reasonable. When B and B::Deparse are loaded, they get automatically monkeypatched so that introspecting modules like B::Concise and B::Deparse still produce a valid output. C API "sub_op_config_t" A typedef'd struct that configures how Sub::Op should handle a given subroutine name. It has the following members : * "const char *name" The name of the subroutine you want to replace. Allowed to be static. * "STRLEN namelen" "name"'s length, in bytes. * "Perl_ppaddr_t pp" The pp function that will be called instead of the subroutine. "Perl_ppaddr_t" is a typedef'd function pointer defined by perl as : typedef OP *(*Perl_ppaddr_t)(pTHX); * "sub_op_check_t check" An optional callback that will be called each time a call to "name" is replaced. You can use it to attach extra info to those ops (e.g. with a pointer table) or to perform more optimizations to the optree. "sub_op_check_t" is a typedef'd function pointer defined by : typedef OP *(*sub_op_check_t)(pTHX_ OP *, void *); * "void *ud" An optional user data passed to the "check" callback. "void sub_op_register(pTHX_ const sub_op_config_t *c)" Registers a name and its configuration into Sub::Op. The caller is responsible for allocating and freeing the "sub_op_config_t" object. No pointer to it or to its members is kept. PERL API "enable $name, [ $pkg ]" Enable the replacement with a custom opcode of calls to the $name subroutine of the $pkg package in the current lexical scope. A pp callback must have been registered for $name by calling the C function "sub_op_register" in the XS section of your module. When $pkg is not set, it defaults to the caller package. "disable $name, [ $pkg ]" Disable the replacement for calls to $name in the package $pkg. When $pkg is not set, it defaults to the caller package. EXAMPLES See the t/Sub-Op-LexicalSub directory that implements a complete example. CAVEATS Preexistent definitions of a sub whose name is handled by Sub::Op are restored at the end of the lexical scope in which the module is used. But if you define a sub in the scope of action of Sub::Op with a name that is currently being replaced, the new declaration will be obliterated at the scope end. Function calls without parenthesis inside an "eval STRING" in the scope of the pragma won't be replaced. I know a few ways of fixing this, but I've not yet decided on which. DEPENDENCIES perl 5.10. Variable::Magic, B::Hooks::EndOfScope. ExtUtils::Depends. SEE ALSO subs::auto. B::Hooks::XSUB::CallAsOp provides a C API to declare XSUBs that effectively call a specific PP function. Thus, it allows you to write XSUBs with the PP stack conventions used for implementing perl core keywords. There's no opcode replacement and no parsing hacks. B::Hooks::OP::Check::EntersubForCV. AUTHOR Vincent Pit, "", . You can contact me by mail or on "irc.perl.org" (vincent). BUGS Please report any bugs or feature requests to "bug-sub-op at rt.cpan.org", or through the web interface at . I will be notified, and then you'll automatically be notified of progress on your bug as I make changes. SUPPORT You can find documentation for this module with the perldoc command. perldoc Sub::Op Tests code coverage report is available at . COPYRIGHT & LICENSE Copyright 2010 Vincent Pit, all rights reserved. This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.