dual nature of a method

[kashyap_nd]

Hi All,

How can i write a method which will behave as a class method as well instance method?

Thanks
Nand

[kashyap_nd]

I tried this.

sub dual {
my ($self,$time);
if (ref($_[0]) ) {
($self,$time) = @_;
}else {
($time) = @_;
}
blah blah ..........
}

The only problem with the above method is that it will not work properly if the first argument to it is a reference. Is there any ohter way to make it a class method as well instance method.

Thanks
Nand

[SeanW]

Rather than simply checking if $_[0] is a reference, compare it to the reference you'd be expecting if it were already blessed.

[perl]
if ($_[0] =~ /Foo::Bar/) {
[/perl]

Sean

[kashyap_nd]

What will happen in case of inheritance?
The package name Foo::Bar shouldn't be hardcoded.

Can I simply check if it is an object reference
and not other kind of reference.If yes how?

[SeanW]

Hrm... Good point.

Have a look at the UNIVERSAL class, everyone derives from it implicitly, and it provides some functions. I believe you can use it to walk the inheritance tree, or at the least, differentiate between an object reference as opposed to a regular variable. The camel book has a few pages on it, or search the web.

Sean