[ViewVC] Diff of: cvs/AnyEvent/README

Comparing AnyEvent/README (file contents):
Revision 1.21 by root, Sat May 17 21:34:15 2008 UTC vs.
Revision 1.37 by root, Mon Apr 20 14:34:18 2009 UTC

…		…
5	loops	5	loops
6		6
7	SYNOPSIS	7	SYNOPSIS
8	use AnyEvent;	8	use AnyEvent;
9		9
10	my $w = AnyEvent->io (fh => $fh, poll => "r\|w", cb => sub {	10	my $w = AnyEvent->io (fh => $fh, poll => "r\|w", cb => sub { ... });
11	...
12	});
13		11
14	my $w = AnyEvent->timer (after => $seconds, cb => sub {	12	my $w = AnyEvent->timer (after => $seconds, cb => sub { ... });
		13	my $w = AnyEvent->timer (after => $seconds, interval => $seconds, cb => ...
		14
		15	print AnyEvent->now; # prints current event loop time
		16	print AnyEvent->time; # think Time::HiRes::time or simply CORE::time.
		17
		18	my $w = AnyEvent->signal (signal => "TERM", cb => sub { ... });
		19
		20	my $w = AnyEvent->child (pid => $pid, cb => sub {
		21	my ($pid, $status) = @_;
15	...	22	...
16	});	23	});
17		24
18	my $w = AnyEvent->condvar; # stores whether a condition was flagged	25	my $w = AnyEvent->condvar; # stores whether a condition was flagged
19	$w->send; # wake up current and all future recv's	26	$w->send; # wake up current and all future recv's
20	$w->recv; # enters "main loop" till $condvar gets ->send	27	$w->recv; # enters "main loop" till $condvar gets ->send
		28	# use a condvar in callback mode:
		29	$w->cb (sub { $_[0]->recv });
		30
		31	INTRODUCTION/TUTORIAL
		32	This manpage is mainly a reference manual. If you are interested in a
		33	tutorial or some gentle introduction, have a look at the AnyEvent::Intro
		34	manpage.
21		35
22	WHY YOU SHOULD USE THIS MODULE (OR NOT)	36	WHY YOU SHOULD USE THIS MODULE (OR NOT)
23	Glib, POE, IO::Async, Event... CPAN offers event models by the dozen	37	Glib, POE, IO::Async, Event... CPAN offers event models by the dozen
24	nowadays. So what is different about AnyEvent?	38	nowadays. So what is different about AnyEvent?
25		39
26	Executive Summary: AnyEvent is compatible, AnyEvent is *free of	40	Executive Summary: AnyEvent is compatible, AnyEvent is *free of
27	policy* and AnyEvent is small and efficient.	41	policy* and AnyEvent is small and efficient.
28		42
29	First and foremost, AnyEvent is not an event model itself, it only	43	First and foremost, AnyEvent is not an event model itself, it only
30	interfaces to whatever event model the main program happens to use in a	44	interfaces to whatever event model the main program happens to use, in a
31	pragmatic way. For event models and certain classes of immortals alike,	45	pragmatic way. For event models and certain classes of immortals alike,
32	the statement "there can only be one" is a bitter reality: In general,	46	the statement "there can only be one" is a bitter reality: In general,
33	only one event loop can be active at the same time in a process.	47	only one event loop can be active at the same time in a process.
34	AnyEvent helps hiding the differences between those event loops.	48	AnyEvent cannot change this, but it can hide the differences between
		49	those event loops.
35		50
36	The goal of AnyEvent is to offer module authors the ability to do event	51	The goal of AnyEvent is to offer module authors the ability to do event
37	programming (waiting for I/O or timer events) without subscribing to a	52	programming (waiting for I/O or timer events) without subscribing to a
38	religion, a way of living, and most importantly: without forcing your	53	religion, a way of living, and most importantly: without forcing your
39	module users into the same thing by forcing them to use the same event	54	module users into the same thing by forcing them to use the same event
40	model you use.	55	model you use.
41		56
42	For modules like POE or IO::Async (which is a total misnomer as it is	57	For modules like POE or IO::Async (which is a total misnomer as it is
43	actually doing all I/O synchronously...), using them in your module is	58	actually doing all I/O synchronously...), using them in your module is
44	like joining a cult: After you joined, you are dependent on them and you	59	like joining a cult: After you joined, you are dependent on them and you
45	cannot use anything else, as it is simply incompatible to everything	60	cannot use anything else, as they are simply incompatible to everything
46	that isn't itself. What's worse, all the potential users of your module	61	that isn't them. What's worse, all the potential users of your module
47	are also forced to use the same event loop you use.	62	are also forced to use the same event loop you use.
48		63
49	AnyEvent is different: AnyEvent + POE works fine. AnyEvent + Glib works	64	AnyEvent is different: AnyEvent + POE works fine. AnyEvent + Glib works
50	fine. AnyEvent + Tk works fine etc. etc. but none of these work together	65	fine. AnyEvent + Tk works fine etc. etc. but none of these work together
51	with the rest: POE + IO::Async? no go. Tk + Event? no go. Again: if your	66	with the rest: POE + IO::Async? No go. Tk + Event? No go. Again: if your
52	module uses one of those, every user of your module has to use it, too.	67	module uses one of those, every user of your module has to use it, too.
53	But if your module uses AnyEvent, it works transparently with all event	68	But if your module uses AnyEvent, it works transparently with all event
54	models it supports (including stuff like POE and IO::Async, as long as	69	models it supports (including stuff like IO::Async, as long as those use
55	those use one of the supported event loops. It is trivial to add new	70	one of the supported event loops. It is trivial to add new event loops
56	event loops to AnyEvent, too, so it is future-proof).	71	to AnyEvent, too, so it is future-proof).
57		72
58	In addition to being free of having to use *the one and only true event	73	In addition to being free of having to use *the one and only true event
59	model*, AnyEvent also is free of bloat and policy: with POE or similar	74	model*, AnyEvent also is free of bloat and policy: with POE or similar
60	modules, you get an enourmous amount of code and strict rules you have	75	modules, you get an enormous amount of code and strict rules you have to
61	to follow. AnyEvent, on the other hand, is lean and up to the point, by	76	follow. AnyEvent, on the other hand, is lean and up to the point, by
62	only offering the functionality that is necessary, in as thin as a	77	only offering the functionality that is necessary, in as thin as a
63	wrapper as technically possible.	78	wrapper as technically possible.
64		79
		80	Of course, AnyEvent comes with a big (and fully optional!) toolbox of
		81	useful functionality, such as an asynchronous DNS resolver, 100%
		82	non-blocking connects (even with TLS/SSL, IPv6 and on broken platforms
		83	such as Windows) and lots of real-world knowledge and workarounds for
		84	platform bugs and differences.
		85
65	Of course, if you want lots of policy (this can arguably be somewhat	86	Now, if you do want lots of policy (this can arguably be somewhat
66	useful) and you want to force your users to use the one and only event	87	useful) and you want to force your users to use the one and only event
67	model, you should not use this module.	88	model, you should not use this module.
68		89
69	DESCRIPTION	90	DESCRIPTION
70	AnyEvent provides an identical interface to multiple event loops. This	91	AnyEvent provides an identical interface to multiple event loops. This
…		…
99	starts using it, all bets are off. Maybe you should tell their authors	120	starts using it, all bets are off. Maybe you should tell their authors
100	to use AnyEvent so their modules work together with others seamlessly...	121	to use AnyEvent so their modules work together with others seamlessly...
101		122
102	The pure-perl implementation of AnyEvent is called	123	The pure-perl implementation of AnyEvent is called
103	"AnyEvent::Impl::Perl". Like other event modules you can load it	124	"AnyEvent::Impl::Perl". Like other event modules you can load it
104	explicitly.	125	explicitly and enjoy the high availability of that event loop :)
105		126
106	WATCHERS	127	WATCHERS
107	AnyEvent has the central concept of a watcher, which is an object that	128	AnyEvent has the central concept of a watcher, which is an object that
108	stores relevant data for each kind of event you are waiting for, such as	129	stores relevant data for each kind of event you are waiting for, such as
109	the callback to call, the filehandle to watch, etc.	130	the callback to call, the file handle to watch, etc.
110		131
111	These watchers are normal Perl objects with normal Perl lifetime. After	132	These watchers are normal Perl objects with normal Perl lifetime. After
112	creating a watcher it will immediately "watch" for events and invoke the	133	creating a watcher it will immediately "watch" for events and invoke the
113	callback when the event occurs (of course, only when the event model is	134	callback when the event occurs (of course, only when the event model is
114	in control).	135	in control).
115		136
		137	Note that callbacks must not permanently change global variables
		138	potentially in use by the event loop (such as $_ or $[) and that
		139	callbacks must not "die". The former is good programming practise in
		140	Perl and the latter stems from the fact that exception handling differs
		141	widely between event loops.
		142
116	To disable the watcher you have to destroy it (e.g. by setting the	143	To disable the watcher you have to destroy it (e.g. by setting the
117	variable you store it in to "undef" or otherwise deleting all references	144	variable you store it in to "undef" or otherwise deleting all references
118	to it).	145	to it).
119		146
120	All watchers are created by calling a method on the "AnyEvent" class.	147	All watchers are created by calling a method on the "AnyEvent" class.
…		…
122	Many watchers either are used with "recursion" (repeating timers for	149	Many watchers either are used with "recursion" (repeating timers for
123	example), or need to refer to their watcher object in other ways.	150	example), or need to refer to their watcher object in other ways.
124		151
125	An any way to achieve that is this pattern:	152	An any way to achieve that is this pattern:
126		153
127	my $w; $w = AnyEvent->type (arg => value ..., cb => sub {	154	my $w; $w = AnyEvent->type (arg => value ..., cb => sub {
128	# you can use $w here, for example to undef it	155	# you can use $w here, for example to undef it
129	undef $w;	156	undef $w;
130	});	157	});
131		158
132	Note that "my $w; $w =" combination. This is necessary because in Perl,	159	Note that "my $w; $w =" combination. This is necessary because in Perl,
133	my variables are only visible after the statement in which they are	160	my variables are only visible after the statement in which they are
134	declared.	161	declared.
135		162
136	I/O WATCHERS	163	I/O WATCHERS
137	You can create an I/O watcher by calling the "AnyEvent->io" method with	164	You can create an I/O watcher by calling the "AnyEvent->io" method with
138	the following mandatory key-value pairs as arguments:	165	the following mandatory key-value pairs as arguments:
139		166
140	"fh" the Perl file handle (not file descriptor) to watch for events.	167	"fh" is the Perl file handle (not file descriptor) to watch for
		168	events (AnyEvent might or might not keep a reference to this file
		169	handle). Note that only file handles pointing to things for which
		170	non-blocking operation makes sense are allowed. This includes sockets,
		171	most character devices, pipes, fifos and so on, but not for example
		172	files or block devices.
		173
141	"poll" must be a string that is either "r" or "w", which creates a	174	"poll" must be a string that is either "r" or "w", which creates a
142	watcher waiting for "r"eadable or "w"ritable events, respectively. "cb"	175	watcher waiting for "r"eadable or "w"ritable events, respectively.
		176
143	is the callback to invoke each time the file handle becomes ready.	177	"cb" is the callback to invoke each time the file handle becomes ready.
144		178
145	Although the callback might get passed parameters, their value and	179	Although the callback might get passed parameters, their value and
146	presence is undefined and you cannot rely on them. Portable AnyEvent	180	presence is undefined and you cannot rely on them. Portable AnyEvent
147	callbacks cannot use arguments passed to I/O watcher callbacks.	181	callbacks cannot use arguments passed to I/O watcher callbacks.
148		182
…		…
152		186
153	Some event loops issue spurious readyness notifications, so you should	187	Some event loops issue spurious readyness notifications, so you should
154	always use non-blocking calls when reading/writing from/to your file	188	always use non-blocking calls when reading/writing from/to your file
155	handles.	189	handles.
156		190
157	Example:
158
159	# wait for readability of STDIN, then read a line and disable the watcher	191	Example: wait for readability of STDIN, then read a line and disable the
		192	watcher.
		193
160	my $w; $w = AnyEvent->io (fh => \*STDIN, poll => 'r', cb => sub {	194	my $w; $w = AnyEvent->io (fh => \*STDIN, poll => 'r', cb => sub {
161	chomp (my $input = <STDIN>);	195	chomp (my $input = <STDIN>);
162	warn "read: $input\n";	196	warn "read: $input\n";
163	undef $w;	197	undef $w;
164	});	198	});
…		…
173		207
174	Although the callback might get passed parameters, their value and	208	Although the callback might get passed parameters, their value and
175	presence is undefined and you cannot rely on them. Portable AnyEvent	209	presence is undefined and you cannot rely on them. Portable AnyEvent
176	callbacks cannot use arguments passed to time watcher callbacks.	210	callbacks cannot use arguments passed to time watcher callbacks.
177		211
178	The timer callback will be invoked at most once: if you want a repeating	212	The callback will normally be invoked once only. If you specify another
179	timer you have to create a new watcher (this is a limitation by both Tk	213	parameter, "interval", as a strictly positive number (> 0), then the
180	and Glib).	214	callback will be invoked regularly at that interval (in fractional
		215	seconds) after the first invocation. If "interval" is specified with a
		216	false value, then it is treated as if it were missing.
181		217
182	Example:	218	The callback will be rescheduled before invoking the callback, but no
		219	attempt is done to avoid timer drift in most backends, so the interval
		220	is only approximate.
183		221
184	# fire an event after 7.7 seconds	222	Example: fire an event after 7.7 seconds.
		223
185	my $w = AnyEvent->timer (after => 7.7, cb => sub {	224	my $w = AnyEvent->timer (after => 7.7, cb => sub {
186	warn "timeout\n";	225	warn "timeout\n";
187	});	226	});
188		227
189	# to cancel the timer:	228	# to cancel the timer:
190	undef $w;	229	undef $w;
191		230
192	Example 2:
193
194	# fire an event after 0.5 seconds, then roughly every second	231	Example 2: fire an event after 0.5 seconds, then roughly every second.
195	my $w;
196		232
197	my $cb = sub {
198	# cancel the old timer while creating a new one
199	$w = AnyEvent->timer (after => 1, cb => $cb);	233	my $w = AnyEvent->timer (after => 0.5, interval => 1, cb => sub {
		234	warn "timeout\n";
200	};	235	};
201
202	# start the "loop" by creating the first watcher
203	$w = AnyEvent->timer (after => 0.5, cb => $cb);
204		236
205	TIMING ISSUES	237	TIMING ISSUES
206	There are two ways to handle timers: based on real time (relative, "fire	238	There are two ways to handle timers: based on real time (relative, "fire
207	in 10 seconds") and based on wallclock time (absolute, "fire at 12	239	in 10 seconds") and based on wallclock time (absolute, "fire at 12
208	o'clock").	240	o'clock").
…		…
220	on wallclock time) timers.	252	on wallclock time) timers.
221		253
222	AnyEvent always prefers relative timers, if available, matching the	254	AnyEvent always prefers relative timers, if available, matching the
223	AnyEvent API.	255	AnyEvent API.
224		256
		257	AnyEvent has two additional methods that return the "current time":
		258
		259	AnyEvent->time
		260	This returns the "current wallclock time" as a fractional number of
		261	seconds since the Epoch (the same thing as "time" or
		262	"Time::HiRes::time" return, and the result is guaranteed to be
		263	compatible with those).
		264
		265	It progresses independently of any event loop processing, i.e. each
		266	call will check the system clock, which usually gets updated
		267	frequently.
		268
		269	AnyEvent->now
		270	This also returns the "current wallclock time", but unlike "time",
		271	above, this value might change only once per event loop iteration,
		272	depending on the event loop (most return the same time as "time",
		273	above). This is the time that AnyEvent's timers get scheduled
		274	against.
		275
		276	*In almost all cases (in all cases if you don't care), this is the
		277	function to call when you want to know the current time.*
		278
		279	This function is also often faster then "AnyEvent->time", and thus
		280	the preferred method if you want some timestamp (for example,
		281	AnyEvent::Handle uses this to update it's activity timeouts).
		282
		283	The rest of this section is only of relevance if you try to be very
		284	exact with your timing, you can skip it without bad conscience.
		285
		286	For a practical example of when these times differ, consider
		287	Event::Lib and EV and the following set-up:
		288
		289	The event loop is running and has just invoked one of your callback
		290	at time=500 (assume no other callbacks delay processing). In your
		291	callback, you wait a second by executing "sleep 1" (blocking the
		292	process for a second) and then (at time=501) you create a relative
		293	timer that fires after three seconds.
		294
		295	With Event::Lib, "AnyEvent->time" and "AnyEvent->now" will both
		296	return 501, because that is the current time, and the timer will be
		297	scheduled to fire at time=504 (501 + 3).
		298
		299	With EV, "AnyEvent->time" returns 501 (as that is the current time),
		300	but "AnyEvent->now" returns 500, as that is the time the last event
		301	processing phase started. With EV, your timer gets scheduled to run
		302	at time=503 (500 + 3).
		303
		304	In one sense, Event::Lib is more exact, as it uses the current time
		305	regardless of any delays introduced by event processing. However,
		306	most callbacks do not expect large delays in processing, so this
		307	causes a higher drift (and a lot more system calls to get the
		308	current time).
		309
		310	In another sense, EV is more exact, as your timer will be scheduled
		311	at the same time, regardless of how long event processing actually
		312	took.
		313
		314	In either case, if you care (and in most cases, you don't), then you
		315	can get whatever behaviour you want with any event loop, by taking
		316	the difference between "AnyEvent->time" and "AnyEvent->now" into
		317	account.
		318
		319	AnyEvent->now_update
		320	Some event loops (such as EV or AnyEvent::Impl::Perl) cache the
		321	current time for each loop iteration (see the discussion of
		322	AnyEvent->now, above).
		323
		324	When a callback runs for a long time (or when the process sleeps),
		325	then this "current" time will differ substantially from the real
		326	time, which might affect timers and time-outs.
		327
		328	When this is the case, you can call this method, which will update
		329	the event loop's idea of "current time".
		330
		331	Note that updating the time might cause some events to be handled.
		332
225	SIGNAL WATCHERS	333	SIGNAL WATCHERS
226	You can watch for signals using a signal watcher, "signal" is the signal	334	You can watch for signals using a signal watcher, "signal" is the signal
227	name without any "SIG" prefix, "cb" is the Perl callback to be invoked	335	name in uppercase and without any "SIG" prefix, "cb" is the Perl
228	whenever a signal occurs.	336	callback to be invoked whenever a signal occurs.
229		337
230	Although the callback might get passed parameters, their value and	338	Although the callback might get passed parameters, their value and
231	presence is undefined and you cannot rely on them. Portable AnyEvent	339	presence is undefined and you cannot rely on them. Portable AnyEvent
232	callbacks cannot use arguments passed to signal watcher callbacks.	340	callbacks cannot use arguments passed to signal watcher callbacks.
233		341
234	Multiple signal occurances can be clumped together into one callback	342	Multiple signal occurrences can be clumped together into one callback
235	invocation, and callback invocation will be synchronous. synchronous	343	invocation, and callback invocation will be synchronous. Synchronous
236	means that it might take a while until the signal gets handled by the	344	means that it might take a while until the signal gets handled by the
237	process, but it is guarenteed not to interrupt any other callbacks.	345	process, but it is guaranteed not to interrupt any other callbacks.
238		346
239	The main advantage of using these watchers is that you can share a	347	The main advantage of using these watchers is that you can share a
240	signal between multiple watchers.	348	signal between multiple watchers.
241		349
242	This watcher might use %SIG, so programs overwriting those signals	350	This watcher might use %SIG, so programs overwriting those signals
…		…
248		356
249	CHILD PROCESS WATCHERS	357	CHILD PROCESS WATCHERS
250	You can also watch on a child process exit and catch its exit status.	358	You can also watch on a child process exit and catch its exit status.
251		359
252	The child process is specified by the "pid" argument (if set to 0, it	360	The child process is specified by the "pid" argument (if set to 0, it
253	watches for any child process exit). The watcher will trigger as often	361	watches for any child process exit). The watcher will triggered only
254	as status change for the child are received. This works by installing a	362	when the child process has finished and an exit status is available, not
255	signal handler for "SIGCHLD". The callback will be called with the pid	363	on any trace events (stopped/continued).
256	and exit status (as returned by waitpid), so unlike other watcher types,	364
257	you can rely on child watcher callback arguments.	365	The callback will be called with the pid and exit status (as returned by
		366	waitpid), so unlike other watcher types, you can rely on child watcher
		367	callback arguments.
		368
		369	This watcher type works by installing a signal handler for "SIGCHLD",
		370	and since it cannot be shared, nothing else should use SIGCHLD or reap
		371	random child processes (waiting for specific child processes, e.g.
		372	inside "system", is just fine).
258		373
259	There is a slight catch to child watchers, however: you usually start	374	There is a slight catch to child watchers, however: you usually start
260	them after the child process was created, and this means the process	375	them after the child process was created, and this means the process
261	could have exited already (and no SIGCHLD will be sent anymore).	376	could have exited already (and no SIGCHLD will be sent anymore).
262		377
…		…
269	an AnyEvent program, you have to create at least one watcher before	384	an AnyEvent program, you have to create at least one watcher before
270	you "fork" the child (alternatively, you can call "AnyEvent::detect").	385	you "fork" the child (alternatively, you can call "AnyEvent::detect").
271		386
272	Example: fork a process and wait for it	387	Example: fork a process and wait for it
273		388
274	my $done = AnyEvent->condvar;	389	my $done = AnyEvent->condvar;
275		390
276	my $pid = fork or exit 5;	391	my $pid = fork or exit 5;
277		392
278	my $w = AnyEvent->child (	393	my $w = AnyEvent->child (
279	pid => $pid,	394	pid => $pid,
280	cb => sub {	395	cb => sub {
281	my ($pid, $status) = @_;	396	my ($pid, $status) = @_;
282	warn "pid $pid exited with status $status";	397	warn "pid $pid exited with status $status";
283	$done->send;	398	$done->send;
284	},	399	},
285	);	400	);
286		401
287	# do something else, then wait for process exit	402	# do something else, then wait for process exit
288	$done->recv;	403	$done->recv;
289		404
290	CONDITION VARIABLES	405	CONDITION VARIABLES
291	If you are familiar with some event loops you will know that all of them	406	If you are familiar with some event loops you will know that all of them
292	require you to run some blocking "loop", "run" or similar function that	407	require you to run some blocking "loop", "run" or similar function that
293	will actively watch for new events and call your callbacks.	408	will actively watch for new events and call your callbacks.
…		…
298	The instrument to do that is called a "condition variable", so called	413	The instrument to do that is called a "condition variable", so called
299	because they represent a condition that must become true.	414	because they represent a condition that must become true.
300		415
301	Condition variables can be created by calling the "AnyEvent->condvar"	416	Condition variables can be created by calling the "AnyEvent->condvar"
302	method, usually without arguments. The only argument pair allowed is	417	method, usually without arguments. The only argument pair allowed is
		418
303	"cb", which specifies a callback to be called when the condition	419	"cb", which specifies a callback to be called when the condition
304	variable becomes true.	420	variable becomes true, with the condition variable as the first argument
		421	(but not the results).
305		422
306	After creation, the conditon variable is "false" until it becomes "true"	423	After creation, the condition variable is "false" until it becomes
		424	"true" by calling the "send" method (or calling the condition variable
		425	as if it were a callback, read about the caveats in the description for
307	by calling the "send" method.	426	the "->send" method).
308		427
309	Condition variables are similar to callbacks, except that you can	428	Condition variables are similar to callbacks, except that you can
310	optionally wait for them. They can also be called merge points - points	429	optionally wait for them. They can also be called merge points - points
311	in time where multiple outstandign events have been processed. And yet	430	in time where multiple outstanding events have been processed. And yet
312	another way to call them is transations - each condition variable can be	431	another way to call them is transactions - each condition variable can
313	used to represent a transaction, which finishes at some point and	432	be used to represent a transaction, which finishes at some point and
314	delivers a result.	433	delivers a result.
315		434
316	Condition variables are very useful to signal that something has	435	Condition variables are very useful to signal that something has
317	finished, for example, if you write a module that does asynchronous http	436	finished, for example, if you write a module that does asynchronous http
318	requests, then a condition variable would be the ideal candidate to	437	requests, then a condition variable would be the ideal candidate to
…		…
323	you can block your main program until an event occurs - for example, you	442	you can block your main program until an event occurs - for example, you
324	could "->recv" in your main program until the user clicks the Quit	443	could "->recv" in your main program until the user clicks the Quit
325	button of your app, which would "->send" the "quit" event.	444	button of your app, which would "->send" the "quit" event.
326		445
327	Note that condition variables recurse into the event loop - if you have	446	Note that condition variables recurse into the event loop - if you have
328	two pieces of code that call "->recv" in a round-robbin fashion, you	447	two pieces of code that call "->recv" in a round-robin fashion, you
329	lose. Therefore, condition variables are good to export to your caller,	448	lose. Therefore, condition variables are good to export to your caller,
330	but you should avoid making a blocking wait yourself, at least in	449	but you should avoid making a blocking wait yourself, at least in
331	callbacks, as this asks for trouble.	450	callbacks, as this asks for trouble.
332		451
333	Condition variables are represented by hash refs in perl, and the keys	452	Condition variables are represented by hash refs in perl, and the keys
…		…
338		457
339	There are two "sides" to a condition variable - the "producer side"	458	There are two "sides" to a condition variable - the "producer side"
340	which eventually calls "-> send", and the "consumer side", which waits	459	which eventually calls "-> send", and the "consumer side", which waits
341	for the send to occur.	460	for the send to occur.
342		461
343	Example:	462	Example: wait for a timer.
344		463
345	# wait till the result is ready	464	# wait till the result is ready
346	my $result_ready = AnyEvent->condvar;	465	my $result_ready = AnyEvent->condvar;
347		466
348	# do something such as adding a timer	467	# do something such as adding a timer
…		…
356		475
357	# this "blocks" (while handling events) till the callback	476	# this "blocks" (while handling events) till the callback
358	# calls send	477	# calls send
359	$result_ready->recv;	478	$result_ready->recv;
360		479
		480	Example: wait for a timer, but take advantage of the fact that condition
		481	variables are also code references.
		482
		483	my $done = AnyEvent->condvar;
		484	my $delay = AnyEvent->timer (after => 5, cb => $done);
		485	$done->recv;
		486
		487	Example: Imagine an API that returns a condvar and doesn't support
		488	callbacks. This is how you make a synchronous call, for example from the
		489	main program:
		490
		491	use AnyEvent::CouchDB;
		492
		493	...
		494
		495	my @info = $couchdb->info->recv;
		496
		497	And this is how you would just ste a callback to be called whenever the
		498	results are available:
		499
		500	$couchdb->info->cb (sub {
		501	my @info = $_[0]->recv;
		502	});
		503
361	METHODS FOR PRODUCERS	504	METHODS FOR PRODUCERS
362	These methods should only be used by the producing side, i.e. the	505	These methods should only be used by the producing side, i.e. the
363	code/module that eventually sends the signal. Note that it is also the	506	code/module that eventually sends the signal. Note that it is also the
364	producer side which creates the condvar in most cases, but it isn't	507	producer side which creates the condvar in most cases, but it isn't
365	uncommon for the consumer to create it as well.	508	uncommon for the consumer to create it as well.
…		…
372	If a callback has been set on the condition variable, it is called	515	If a callback has been set on the condition variable, it is called
373	immediately from within send.	516	immediately from within send.
374		517
375	Any arguments passed to the "send" call will be returned by all	518	Any arguments passed to the "send" call will be returned by all
376	future "->recv" calls.	519	future "->recv" calls.
		520
		521	Condition variables are overloaded so one can call them directly (as
		522	a code reference). Calling them directly is the same as calling
		523	"send". Note, however, that many C-based event loops do not handle
		524	overloading, so as tempting as it may be, passing a condition
		525	variable instead of a callback does not work. Both the pure perl and
		526	EV loops support overloading, however, as well as all functions that
		527	use perl to invoke a callback (as in AnyEvent::Socket and
		528	AnyEvent::DNS for example).
377		529
378	$cv->croak ($error)	530	$cv->croak ($error)
379	Similar to send, but causes all call's to "->recv" to invoke	531	Similar to send, but causes all call's to "->recv" to invoke
380	"Carp::croak" with the given error message/object/scalar.	532	"Carp::croak" with the given error message/object/scalar.
381		533
…		…
427	(the loop doesn't execute once).	579	(the loop doesn't execute once).
428		580
429	This is the general pattern when you "fan out" into multiple	581	This is the general pattern when you "fan out" into multiple
430	subrequests: use an outer "begin"/"end" pair to set the callback and	582	subrequests: use an outer "begin"/"end" pair to set the callback and
431	ensure "end" is called at least once, and then, for each subrequest	583	ensure "end" is called at least once, and then, for each subrequest
432	you start, call "begin" and for eahc subrequest you finish, call	584	you start, call "begin" and for each subrequest you finish, call
433	"end".	585	"end".
434		586
435	METHODS FOR CONSUMERS	587	METHODS FOR CONSUMERS
436	These methods should only be used by the consuming side, i.e. the code	588	These methods should only be used by the consuming side, i.e. the code
437	awaits the condition.	589	awaits the condition.
…		…
453	(programs might want to do that to stay interactive), so *if you are	605	(programs might want to do that to stay interactive), so *if you are
454	using this from a module, never require a blocking wait*, but let	606	using this from a module, never require a blocking wait*, but let
455	the caller decide whether the call will block or not (for example,	607	the caller decide whether the call will block or not (for example,
456	by coupling condition variables with some kind of request results	608	by coupling condition variables with some kind of request results
457	and supporting callbacks so the caller knows that getting the result	609	and supporting callbacks so the caller knows that getting the result
458	will not block, while still suppporting blocking waits if the caller	610	will not block, while still supporting blocking waits if the caller
459	so desires).	611	so desires).
460		612
461	Another reason never to "->recv" in a module is that you cannot	613	Another reason never to "->recv" in a module is that you cannot
462	sensibly have two "->recv"'s in parallel, as that would require	614	sensibly have two "->recv"'s in parallel, as that would require
463	multiple interpreters or coroutines/threads, none of which	615	multiple interpreters or coroutines/threads, none of which
…		…
476		628
477	$bool = $cv->ready	629	$bool = $cv->ready
478	Returns true when the condition is "true", i.e. whether "send" or	630	Returns true when the condition is "true", i.e. whether "send" or
479	"croak" have been called.	631	"croak" have been called.
480		632
481	$cb = $cv->cb ([new callback])	633	$cb = $cv->cb ($cb->($cv))
482	This is a mutator function that returns the callback set and	634	This is a mutator function that returns the callback set and
483	optionally replaces it before doing so.	635	optionally replaces it before doing so.
484		636
485	The callback will be called when the condition becomes "true", i.e.	637	The callback will be called when the condition becomes "true", i.e.
486	when "send" or "croak" are called. Calling "recv" inside the	638	when "send" or "croak" are called, with the only argument being the
		639	condition variable itself. Calling "recv" inside the callback or at
487	callback or at any later time is guaranteed not to block.	640	any later time is guaranteed not to block.
488		641
489	GLOBAL VARIABLES AND FUNCTIONS	642	GLOBAL VARIABLES AND FUNCTIONS
490	$AnyEvent::MODEL	643	$AnyEvent::MODEL
491	Contains "undef" until the first watcher is being created. Then it	644	Contains "undef" until the first watcher is being created. Then it
492	contains the event model that is being used, which is the name of	645	contains the event model that is being used, which is the name of
…		…
566	If it doesn't care, it can just "use AnyEvent" and use it itself, or not	719	If it doesn't care, it can just "use AnyEvent" and use it itself, or not
567	do anything special (it does not need to be event-based) and let	720	do anything special (it does not need to be event-based) and let
568	AnyEvent decide which implementation to chose if some module relies on	721	AnyEvent decide which implementation to chose if some module relies on
569	it.	722	it.
570		723
571	If the main program relies on a specific event model. For example, in	724	If the main program relies on a specific event model - for example, in
572	Gtk2 programs you have to rely on the Glib module. You should load the	725	Gtk2 programs you have to rely on the Glib module - you should load the
573	event module before loading AnyEvent or any module that uses it:	726	event module before loading AnyEvent or any module that uses it:
574	generally speaking, you should load it as early as possible. The reason	727	generally speaking, you should load it as early as possible. The reason
575	is that modules might create watchers when they are loaded, and AnyEvent	728	is that modules might create watchers when they are loaded, and AnyEvent
576	will decide on the event model to use as soon as it creates watchers,	729	will decide on the event model to use as soon as it creates watchers,
577	and it might chose the wrong one unless you load the correct one	730	and it might chose the wrong one unless you load the correct one
578	yourself.	731	yourself.
579		732
580	You can chose to use a rather inefficient pure-perl implementation by	733	You can chose to use a pure-perl implementation by loading the
581	loading the "AnyEvent::Impl::Perl" module, which gives you similar	734	"AnyEvent::Impl::Perl" module, which gives you similar behaviour
582	behaviour everywhere, but letting AnyEvent chose is generally better.	735	everywhere, but letting AnyEvent chose the model is generally better.
		736
		737	MAINLOOP EMULATION
		738	Sometimes (often for short test scripts, or even standalone programs who
		739	only want to use AnyEvent), you do not want to run a specific event
		740	loop.
		741
		742	In that case, you can use a condition variable like this:
		743
		744	AnyEvent->condvar->recv;
		745
		746	This has the effect of entering the event loop and looping forever.
		747
		748	Note that usually your program has some exit condition, in which case it
		749	is better to use the "traditional" approach of storing a condition
		750	variable somewhere, waiting for it, and sending it when the program
		751	should exit cleanly.
583		752
584	OTHER MODULES	753	OTHER MODULES
585	The following is a non-exhaustive list of additional modules that use	754	The following is a non-exhaustive list of additional modules that use
586	AnyEvent and can therefore be mixed easily with other AnyEvent modules	755	AnyEvent and can therefore be mixed easily with other AnyEvent modules
587	in the same program. Some of the modules come with AnyEvent, some are	756	in the same program. Some of the modules come with AnyEvent, some are
…		…
590	AnyEvent::Util	759	AnyEvent::Util
591	Contains various utility functions that replace often-used but	760	Contains various utility functions that replace often-used but
592	blocking functions such as "inet_aton" by event-/callback-based	761	blocking functions such as "inet_aton" by event-/callback-based
593	versions.	762	versions.
594		763
		764	AnyEvent::Socket
		765	Provides various utility functions for (internet protocol) sockets,
		766	addresses and name resolution. Also functions to create non-blocking
		767	tcp connections or tcp servers, with IPv6 and SRV record support and
		768	more.
		769
595	AnyEvent::Handle	770	AnyEvent::Handle
596	Provide read and write buffers and manages watchers for reads and	771	Provide read and write buffers, manages watchers for reads and
597	writes.	772	writes, supports raw and formatted I/O, I/O queued and fully
		773	transparent and non-blocking SSL/TLS.
		774
		775	AnyEvent::DNS
		776	Provides rich asynchronous DNS resolver capabilities.
		777
		778	AnyEvent::HTTP
		779	A simple-to-use HTTP library that is capable of making a lot of
		780	concurrent HTTP requests.
598		781
599	AnyEvent::HTTPD	782	AnyEvent::HTTPD
600	Provides a simple web application server framework.	783	Provides a simple web application server framework.
601		784
602	AnyEvent::DNS
603	Provides asynchronous DNS resolver capabilities, beyond what
604	AnyEvent::Util offers.
605
606	AnyEvent::FastPing	785	AnyEvent::FastPing
607	The fastest ping in the west.	786	The fastest ping in the west.
608		787
		788	AnyEvent::DBI
		789	Executes DBI requests asynchronously in a proxy process.
		790
		791	AnyEvent::AIO
		792	Truly asynchronous I/O, should be in the toolbox of every event
		793	programmer. AnyEvent::AIO transparently fuses IO::AIO and AnyEvent
		794	together.
		795
		796	AnyEvent::BDB
		797	Truly asynchronous Berkeley DB access. AnyEvent::BDB transparently
		798	fuses BDB and AnyEvent together.
		799
		800	AnyEvent::GPSD
		801	A non-blocking interface to gpsd, a daemon delivering GPS
		802	information.
		803
		804	AnyEvent::IGS
		805	A non-blocking interface to the Internet Go Server protocol (used by
		806	App::IGS).
		807
		808	AnyEvent::IRC
		809	AnyEvent based IRC client module family (replacing the older
609	Net::IRC3	810	Net::IRC3).
610	AnyEvent based IRC client module family.
611		811
612	Net::XMPP2	812	Net::XMPP2
613	AnyEvent based XMPP (Jabber protocol) module family.	813	AnyEvent based XMPP (Jabber protocol) module family.
614		814
615	Net::FCP	815	Net::FCP
…		…
620	High level API for event-based execution flow control.	820	High level API for event-based execution flow control.
621		821
622	Coro	822	Coro
623	Has special support for AnyEvent via Coro::AnyEvent.	823	Has special support for AnyEvent via Coro::AnyEvent.
624		824
625	AnyEvent::AIO, IO::AIO
626	Truly asynchronous I/O, should be in the toolbox of every event
627	programmer. AnyEvent::AIO transparently fuses IO::AIO and AnyEvent
628	together.
629
630	AnyEvent::BDB, BDB
631	Truly asynchronous Berkeley DB access. AnyEvent::AIO transparently
632	fuses IO::AIO and AnyEvent together.
633
634	IO::Lambda	825	IO::Lambda
635	The lambda approach to I/O - don't ask, look there. Can use	826	The lambda approach to I/O - don't ask, look there. Can use
636	AnyEvent.	827	AnyEvent.
		828
		829	ERROR AND EXCEPTION HANDLING
		830	In general, AnyEvent does not do any error handling - it relies on the
		831	caller to do that if required. The AnyEvent::Strict module (see also the
		832	"PERL_ANYEVENT_STRICT" environment variable, below) provides strict
		833	checking of all AnyEvent methods, however, which is highly useful during
		834	development.
		835
		836	As for exception handling (i.e. runtime errors and exceptions thrown
		837	while executing a callback), this is not only highly event-loop
		838	specific, but also not in any way wrapped by this module, as this is the
		839	job of the main program.
		840
		841	The pure perl event loop simply re-throws the exception (usually within
		842	"condvar->recv"), the Event and EV modules call "$Event/EV::DIED->()",
		843	Glib uses "install_exception_handler" and so on.
		844
		845	ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
		846	The following environment variables are used by this module or its
		847	submodules:
		848
		849	"PERL_ANYEVENT_VERBOSE"
		850	By default, AnyEvent will be completely silent except in fatal
		851	conditions. You can set this environment variable to make AnyEvent
		852	more talkative.
		853
		854	When set to 1 or higher, causes AnyEvent to warn about unexpected
		855	conditions, such as not being able to load the event model specified
		856	by "PERL_ANYEVENT_MODEL".
		857
		858	When set to 2 or higher, cause AnyEvent to report to STDERR which
		859	event model it chooses.
		860
		861	"PERL_ANYEVENT_STRICT"
		862	AnyEvent does not do much argument checking by default, as thorough
		863	argument checking is very costly. Setting this variable to a true
		864	value will cause AnyEvent to load "AnyEvent::Strict" and then to
		865	thoroughly check the arguments passed to most method calls. If it
		866	finds any problems it will croak.
		867
		868	In other words, enables "strict" mode.
		869
		870	Unlike "use strict", it is definitely recommended ot keep it off in
		871	production. Keeping "PERL_ANYEVENT_STRICT=1" in your environment
		872	while developing programs can be very useful, however.
		873
		874	"PERL_ANYEVENT_MODEL"
		875	This can be used to specify the event model to be used by AnyEvent,
		876	before auto detection and -probing kicks in. It must be a string
		877	consisting entirely of ASCII letters. The string "AnyEvent::Impl::"
		878	gets prepended and the resulting module name is loaded and if the
		879	load was successful, used as event model. If it fails to load
		880	AnyEvent will proceed with auto detection and -probing.
		881
		882	This functionality might change in future versions.
		883
		884	For example, to force the pure perl model (AnyEvent::Impl::Perl) you
		885	could start your program like this:
		886
		887	PERL_ANYEVENT_MODEL=Perl perl ...
		888
		889	"PERL_ANYEVENT_PROTOCOLS"
		890	Used by both AnyEvent::DNS and AnyEvent::Socket to determine
		891	preferences for IPv4 or IPv6. The default is unspecified (and might
		892	change, or be the result of auto probing).
		893
		894	Must be set to a comma-separated list of protocols or address
		895	families, current supported: "ipv4" and "ipv6". Only protocols
		896	mentioned will be used, and preference will be given to protocols
		897	mentioned earlier in the list.
		898
		899	This variable can effectively be used for denial-of-service attacks
		900	against local programs (e.g. when setuid), although the impact is
		901	likely small, as the program has to handle conenction and other
		902	failures anyways.
		903
		904	Examples: "PERL_ANYEVENT_PROTOCOLS=ipv4,ipv6" - prefer IPv4 over
		905	IPv6, but support both and try to use both.
		906	"PERL_ANYEVENT_PROTOCOLS=ipv4" - only support IPv4, never try to
		907	resolve or contact IPv6 addresses.
		908	"PERL_ANYEVENT_PROTOCOLS=ipv6,ipv4" support either IPv4 or IPv6, but
		909	prefer IPv6 over IPv4.
		910
		911	"PERL_ANYEVENT_EDNS0"
		912	Used by AnyEvent::DNS to decide whether to use the EDNS0 extension
		913	for DNS. This extension is generally useful to reduce DNS traffic,
		914	but some (broken) firewalls drop such DNS packets, which is why it
		915	is off by default.
		916
		917	Setting this variable to 1 will cause AnyEvent::DNS to announce
		918	EDNS0 in its DNS requests.
		919
		920	"PERL_ANYEVENT_MAX_FORKS"
		921	The maximum number of child processes that
		922	"AnyEvent::Util::fork_call" will create in parallel.
637		923
638	SUPPLYING YOUR OWN EVENT MODEL INTERFACE	924	SUPPLYING YOUR OWN EVENT MODEL INTERFACE
639	This is an advanced topic that you do not normally need to use AnyEvent	925	This is an advanced topic that you do not normally need to use AnyEvent
640	in a module. This section is only of use to event loop authors who want	926	in a module. This section is only of use to event loop authors who want
641	to provide AnyEvent compatibility.	927	to provide AnyEvent compatibility.
…		…
675		961
676	rxvt-unicode also cheats a bit by not providing blocking access to	962	rxvt-unicode also cheats a bit by not providing blocking access to
677	condition variables: code blocking while waiting for a condition will	963	condition variables: code blocking while waiting for a condition will
678	"die". This still works with most modules/usages, and blocking calls	964	"die". This still works with most modules/usages, and blocking calls
679	must not be done in an interactive application, so it makes sense.	965	must not be done in an interactive application, so it makes sense.
680
681	ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
682	The following environment variables are used by this module:
683
684	"PERL_ANYEVENT_VERBOSE"
685	By default, AnyEvent will be completely silent except in fatal
686	conditions. You can set this environment variable to make AnyEvent
687	more talkative.
688
689	When set to 1 or higher, causes AnyEvent to warn about unexpected
690	conditions, such as not being able to load the event model specified
691	by "PERL_ANYEVENT_MODEL".
692
693	When set to 2 or higher, cause AnyEvent to report to STDERR which
694	event model it chooses.
695
696	"PERL_ANYEVENT_MODEL"
697	This can be used to specify the event model to be used by AnyEvent,
698	before autodetection and -probing kicks in. It must be a string
699	consisting entirely of ASCII letters. The string "AnyEvent::Impl::"
700	gets prepended and the resulting module name is loaded and if the
701	load was successful, used as event model. If it fails to load
702	AnyEvent will proceed with autodetection and -probing.
703
704	This functionality might change in future versions.
705
706	For example, to force the pure perl model (AnyEvent::Impl::Perl) you
707	could start your program like this:
708
709	PERL_ANYEVENT_MODEL=Perl perl ...
710		966
711	EXAMPLE PROGRAM	967	EXAMPLE PROGRAM
712	The following program uses an I/O watcher to read data from STDIN, a	968	The following program uses an I/O watcher to read data from STDIN, a
713	timer to display a message once per second, and a condition variable to	969	timer to display a message once per second, and a condition variable to
714	quit the program when the user enters quit:	970	quit the program when the user enters quit:
…		…
796	syswrite $txn->{fh}, $txn->{request}	1052	syswrite $txn->{fh}, $txn->{request}
797	or die "connection or write error";	1053	or die "connection or write error";
798	$txn->{w} = AnyEvent->io (fh => $txn->{fh}, poll => 'r', cb => sub { $txn->fh_ready_r });	1054	$txn->{w} = AnyEvent->io (fh => $txn->{fh}, poll => 'r', cb => sub { $txn->fh_ready_r });
799		1055
800	Again, "fh_ready_r" waits till all data has arrived, and then stores the	1056	Again, "fh_ready_r" waits till all data has arrived, and then stores the
801	result and signals any possible waiters that the request ahs finished:	1057	result and signals any possible waiters that the request has finished:
802		1058
803	sysread $txn->{fh}, $txn->{buf}, length $txn->{$buf};	1059	sysread $txn->{fh}, $txn->{buf}, length $txn->{$buf};
804		1060
805	if (end-of-file or data complete) {	1061	if (end-of-file or data complete) {
806	$txn->{result} = $txn->{buf};	1062	$txn->{result} = $txn->{buf};
…		…
814		1070
815	$txn->{finished}->recv;	1071	$txn->{finished}->recv;
816	return $txn->{result};	1072	return $txn->{result};
817		1073
818	The actual code goes further and collects all errors ("die"s,	1074	The actual code goes further and collects all errors ("die"s,
819	exceptions) that occured during request processing. The "result" method	1075	exceptions) that occurred during request processing. The "result" method
820	detects whether an exception as thrown (it is stored inside the $txn	1076	detects whether an exception as thrown (it is stored inside the $txn
821	object) and just throws the exception, which means connection errors and	1077	object) and just throws the exception, which means connection errors and
822	other problems get reported tot he code that tries to use the result,	1078	other problems get reported tot he code that tries to use the result,
823	not in a random callback.	1079	not in a random callback.
824		1080
…		…
867	over the event loops themselves and to give you an impression of the	1123	over the event loops themselves and to give you an impression of the
868	speed of various event loops I prepared some benchmarks.	1124	speed of various event loops I prepared some benchmarks.
869		1125
870	BENCHMARKING ANYEVENT OVERHEAD	1126	BENCHMARKING ANYEVENT OVERHEAD
871	Here is a benchmark of various supported event models used natively and	1127	Here is a benchmark of various supported event models used natively and
872	through anyevent. The benchmark creates a lot of timers (with a zero	1128	through AnyEvent. The benchmark creates a lot of timers (with a zero
873	timeout) and I/O watchers (watching STDOUT, a pty, to become writable,	1129	timeout) and I/O watchers (watching STDOUT, a pty, to become writable,
874	which it is), lets them fire exactly once and destroys them again.	1130	which it is), lets them fire exactly once and destroys them again.
875		1131
876	Source code for this benchmark is found as eg/bench in the AnyEvent	1132	Source code for this benchmark is found as eg/bench in the AnyEvent
877	distribution.	1133	distribution.
…		…
901	destroy is the time, in microseconds, that it takes to destroy a	1157	destroy is the time, in microseconds, that it takes to destroy a
902	single watcher.	1158	single watcher.
903		1159
904	Results	1160	Results
905	name watchers bytes create invoke destroy comment	1161	name watchers bytes create invoke destroy comment
906	EV/EV 400000 244 0.56 0.46 0.31 EV native interface	1162	EV/EV 400000 224 0.47 0.35 0.27 EV native interface
907	EV/Any 100000 244 2.50 0.46 0.29 EV + AnyEvent watchers	1163	EV/Any 100000 224 2.88 0.34 0.27 EV + AnyEvent watchers
908	CoroEV/Any 100000 244 2.49 0.44 0.29 coroutines + Coro::Signal	1164	CoroEV/Any 100000 224 2.85 0.35 0.28 coroutines + Coro::Signal
909	Perl/Any 100000 513 4.92 0.87 1.12 pure perl implementation	1165	Perl/Any 100000 452 4.13 0.73 0.95 pure perl implementation
910	Event/Event 16000 516 31.88 31.30 0.85 Event native interface	1166	Event/Event 16000 517 32.20 31.80 0.81 Event native interface
911	Event/Any 16000 590 35.75 31.42 1.08 Event + AnyEvent watchers	1167	Event/Any 16000 590 35.85 31.55 1.06 Event + AnyEvent watchers
912	Glib/Any 16000 1357 98.22 12.41 54.00 quadratic behaviour	1168	Glib/Any 16000 1357 102.33 12.31 51.00 quadratic behaviour
913	Tk/Any 2000 1860 26.97 67.98 14.00 SEGV with >> 2000 watchers	1169	Tk/Any 2000 1860 27.20 66.31 14.00 SEGV with >> 2000 watchers
914	POE/Event 2000 6644 108.64 736.02 14.73 via POE::Loop::Event	1170	POE/Event 2000 6328 109.99 751.67 14.02 via POE::Loop::Event
915	POE/Select 2000 6343 94.13 809.12 565.96 via POE::Loop::Select	1171	POE/Select 2000 6027 94.54 809.13 579.80 via POE::Loop::Select
916		1172
917	Discussion	1173	Discussion
918	The benchmark does not measure scalability of the event loop very	1174	The benchmark does not measure scalability of the event loop very
919	well. For example, a select-based event loop (such as the pure perl one)	1175	well. For example, a select-based event loop (such as the pure perl one)
920	can never compete with an event loop that uses epoll when the number of	1176	can never compete with an event loop that uses epoll when the number of
…		…
992		1248
993	* You should avoid POE like the plague if you want performance or	1249	* You should avoid POE like the plague if you want performance or
994	reasonable memory usage.	1250	reasonable memory usage.
995		1251
996	BENCHMARKING THE LARGE SERVER CASE	1252	BENCHMARKING THE LARGE SERVER CASE
997	This benchmark atcually benchmarks the event loop itself. It works by	1253	This benchmark actually benchmarks the event loop itself. It works by
998	creating a number of "servers": each server consists of a socketpair, a	1254	creating a number of "servers": each server consists of a socket pair, a
999	timeout watcher that gets reset on activity (but never fires), and an	1255	timeout watcher that gets reset on activity (but never fires), and an
1000	I/O watcher waiting for input on one side of the socket. Each time the	1256	I/O watcher waiting for input on one side of the socket. Each time the
1001	socket watcher reads a byte it will write that byte to a random other	1257	socket watcher reads a byte it will write that byte to a random other
1002	"server".	1258	"server".
1003		1259
1004	The effect is that there will be a lot of I/O watchers, only part of	1260	The effect is that there will be a lot of I/O watchers, only part of
1005	which are active at any one point (so there is a constant number of	1261	which are active at any one point (so there is a constant number of
1006	active fds for each loop iterstaion, but which fds these are is random).	1262	active fds for each loop iteration, but which fds these are is random).
1007	The timeout is reset each time something is read because that reflects	1263	The timeout is reset each time something is read because that reflects
1008	how most timeouts work (and puts extra pressure on the event loops).	1264	how most timeouts work (and puts extra pressure on the event loops).
1009		1265
1010	In this benchmark, we use 10000 socketpairs (20000 sockets), of which	1266	In this benchmark, we use 10000 socket pairs (20000 sockets), of which
1011	100 (1%) are active. This mirrors the activity of large servers with	1267	100 (1%) are active. This mirrors the activity of large servers with
1012	many connections, most of which are idle at any one point in time.	1268	many connections, most of which are idle at any one point in time.
1013		1269
1014	Source code for this benchmark is found as eg/bench2 in the AnyEvent	1270	Source code for this benchmark is found as eg/bench2 in the AnyEvent
1015	distribution.	1271	distribution.
1016		1272
1017	Explanation of the columns	1273	Explanation of the columns
1018	sockets is the number of sockets, and twice the number of "servers"	1274	sockets is the number of sockets, and twice the number of "servers"
1019	(as each server has a read and write socket end).	1275	(as each server has a read and write socket end).
1020		1276
1021	create is the time it takes to create a socketpair (which is	1277	create is the time it takes to create a socket pair (which is
1022	nontrivial) and two watchers: an I/O watcher and a timeout watcher.	1278	nontrivial) and two watchers: an I/O watcher and a timeout watcher.
1023		1279
1024	request, the most important value, is the time it takes to handle a	1280	request, the most important value, is the time it takes to handle a
1025	single "request", that is, reading the token from the pipe and	1281	single "request", that is, reading the token from the pipe and
1026	forwarding it to another server. This includes deleting the old timeout	1282	forwarding it to another server. This includes deleting the old timeout
…		…
1090	and speed most when you have lots of watchers, not when you only have a	1346	and speed most when you have lots of watchers, not when you only have a
1091	few of them).	1347	few of them).
1092		1348
1093	EV is again fastest.	1349	EV is again fastest.
1094		1350
1095	Perl again comes second. It is noticably faster than the C-based event	1351	Perl again comes second. It is noticeably faster than the C-based event
1096	loops Event and Glib, although the difference is too small to really	1352	loops Event and Glib, although the difference is too small to really
1097	matter.	1353	matter.
1098		1354
1099	POE also performs much better in this case, but is is still far behind	1355	POE also performs much better in this case, but is is still far behind
1100	the others.	1356	the others.
1101		1357
1102	Summary	1358	Summary
1103	* C-based event loops perform very well with small number of watchers,	1359	* C-based event loops perform very well with small number of watchers,
1104	as the management overhead dominates.	1360	as the management overhead dominates.
		1361
		1362	SIGNALS
		1363	AnyEvent currently installs handlers for these signals:
		1364
		1365	SIGCHLD
		1366	A handler for "SIGCHLD" is installed by AnyEvent's child watcher
		1367	emulation for event loops that do not support them natively. Also,
		1368	some event loops install a similar handler.
		1369
		1370	SIGPIPE
		1371	A no-op handler is installed for "SIGPIPE" when $SIG{PIPE} is
		1372	"undef" when AnyEvent gets loaded.
		1373
		1374	The rationale for this is that AnyEvent users usually do not really
		1375	depend on SIGPIPE delivery (which is purely an optimisation for
		1376	shell use, or badly-written programs), but "SIGPIPE" can cause
		1377	spurious and rare program exits as a lot of people do not expect
		1378	"SIGPIPE" when writing to some random socket.
		1379
		1380	The rationale for installing a no-op handler as opposed to ignoring
		1381	it is that this way, the handler will be restored to defaults on
		1382	exec.
		1383
		1384	Feel free to install your own handler, or reset it to defaults.
1105		1385
1106	FORK	1386	FORK
1107	Most event libraries are not fork-safe. The ones who are usually are	1387	Most event libraries are not fork-safe. The ones who are usually are
1108	because they rely on inefficient but fork-safe "select" or "poll" calls.	1388	because they rely on inefficient but fork-safe "select" or "poll" calls.
1109	Only EV is fully fork-aware.	1389	Only EV is fully fork-aware.
…		…
1120	model than specified in the variable.	1400	model than specified in the variable.
1121		1401
1122	You can make AnyEvent completely ignore this variable by deleting it	1402	You can make AnyEvent completely ignore this variable by deleting it
1123	before the first watcher gets created, e.g. with a "BEGIN" block:	1403	before the first watcher gets created, e.g. with a "BEGIN" block:
1124		1404
1125	BEGIN { delete $ENV{PERL_ANYEVENT_MODEL} }	1405	BEGIN { delete $ENV{PERL_ANYEVENT_MODEL} }
1126		1406
1127	use AnyEvent;	1407	use AnyEvent;
1128		1408
1129	Similar considerations apply to $ENV{PERL_ANYEVENT_VERBOSE}, as that can	1409	Similar considerations apply to $ENV{PERL_ANYEVENT_VERBOSE}, as that can
1130	be used to probe what backend is used and gain other information (which	1410	be used to probe what backend is used and gain other information (which
1131	is probably even less useful to an attacker than PERL_ANYEVENT_MODEL).	1411	is probably even less useful to an attacker than PERL_ANYEVENT_MODEL),
		1412	and $ENV{PERL_ANYEGENT_STRICT}.
		1413
		1414	BUGS
		1415	Perl 5.8 has numerous memleaks that sometimes hit this module and are
		1416	hard to work around. If you suffer from memleaks, first upgrade to Perl
		1417	5.10 and check wether the leaks still show up. (Perl 5.10.0 has other
		1418	annoying memleaks, such as leaking on "map" and "grep" but it is usually
		1419	not as pronounced).
1132		1420
1133	SEE ALSO	1421	SEE ALSO
		1422	Utility functions: AnyEvent::Util.
		1423
1134	Event modules: EV, EV::Glib, Glib::EV, Event, Glib::Event, Glib, Tk,	1424	Event modules: EV, EV::Glib, Glib::EV, Event, Glib::Event, Glib, Tk,
1135	Event::Lib, Qt, POE.	1425	Event::Lib, Qt, POE.
1136		1426
1137	Implementations: AnyEvent::Impl::EV, AnyEvent::Impl::Event,	1427	Implementations: AnyEvent::Impl::EV, AnyEvent::Impl::Event,
1138	AnyEvent::Impl::Glib, AnyEvent::Impl::Tk, AnyEvent::Impl::Perl,	1428	AnyEvent::Impl::Glib, AnyEvent::Impl::Tk, AnyEvent::Impl::Perl,
1139	AnyEvent::Impl::EventLib, AnyEvent::Impl::Qt, AnyEvent::Impl::POE.	1429	AnyEvent::Impl::EventLib, AnyEvent::Impl::Qt, AnyEvent::Impl::POE.
1140		1430
		1431	Non-blocking file handles, sockets, TCP clients and servers:
		1432	AnyEvent::Handle, AnyEvent::Socket.
		1433
		1434	Asynchronous DNS: AnyEvent::DNS.
		1435
1141	Coroutine support: Coro, Coro::AnyEvent, Coro::EV, Coro::Event,	1436	Coroutine support: Coro, Coro::AnyEvent, Coro::EV, Coro::Event,
1142		1437
1143	Nontrivial usage examples: Net::FCP, Net::XMPP2.	1438	Nontrivial usage examples: Net::FCP, Net::XMPP2, AnyEvent::DNS.
1144		1439
1145	AUTHOR	1440	AUTHOR
1146	Marc Lehmann <schmorp@schmorp.de>	1441	Marc Lehmann <schmorp@schmorp.de>
1147	http://home.schmorp.de/	1442	http://home.schmorp.de/
1148		1443

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Comparing AnyEvent/README (file contents): Revision 1.21 by root, Sat May 17 21:34:15 2008 UTC vs. Revision 1.37 by root, Mon Apr 20 14:34:18 2009 UTC

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Comparing AnyEvent/README (file contents):
Revision 1.21 by root, Sat May 17 21:34:15 2008 UTC vs.
Revision 1.37 by root, Mon Apr 20 14:34:18 2009 UTC