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Revision 1.4 by root, Wed Nov 28 12:20:33 2007 UTC vs.
Revision 1.10 by root, Fri Jun 26 14:49:33 2009 UTC

1NAME 1NAME
2 Devel::FindRef - where is that reference to my scalar hiding? 2 Devel::FindRef - where is that reference to my variable hiding?
3 3
4SYNOPSIS 4SYNOPSIS
5 use Devel::FindRef; 5 use Devel::FindRef;
6
7 print Devel::FindRef::track \$some_variable;
6 8
7DESCRIPTION 9DESCRIPTION
8 Tracking down reference problems (e.g. you expect some object to be 10 Tracking down reference problems (e.g. you expect some object to be
9 destroyed, but there are still references to it that keep it alive) can 11 destroyed, but there are still references to it that keep it alive) can
10 be very hard. Fortunately, perl keeps track of all its values, so 12 be very hard. Fortunately, perl keeps track of all its values, so
… …
14 to the variables containing them. 16 to the variables containing them.
15 17
16 For example, for this fragment: 18 For example, for this fragment:
17 19
18 package Test; 20 package Test;
21
22 use Devel::FindRef;
23 use Scalar::Util;
19 24
20 our $var = "hi\n"; 25 our $var = "hi\n";
21 my $x = \$var; 26 my $global_my = \$var;
22 our %hash = (ukukey => \$var); 27 our %global_hash = (ukukey => \$var);
23 our $hash2 = {ukukey2 => \$var}; 28 our $global_hashref = { ukukey2 => \$var };
24 29
25 sub testsub { 30 sub testsub {
26 my $local = $hash2; 31 my $testsub_local = $global_hashref;
27 print Devel::FindRef::track \$var; 32 print Devel::FindRef::track \$var;
28 } 33 }
29 34
30 testsub; 35
36 my $closure = sub {
37 my $closure_var = \$_[0];
38 Scalar::Util::weaken (my $weak_ref = \$var);
39 testsub;
40 };
41
42 $closure->($var);
31 43
32 The output is as follows (or similar to this, in case I forget to update 44 The output is as follows (or similar to this, in case I forget to update
33 the manpage after some changes): 45 the manpage after some changes):
34 46
35 SCALAR(0x676fa0) is 47 SCALAR(0x7cc888) [refcount 6] is
36 referenced by REF(0x676fb0), which is 48 +- referenced by REF(0x8abcc8) [refcount 1], which is
37 in the lexical '$x' in CODE(0x676370), which is 49 | in the lexical '$closure_var' in CODE(0x8abc50) [refcount 4], which is
38 not found anywhere I looked :( 50 | +- the closure created at tst:18.
39 referenced by REF(0x676360), which is 51 | +- referenced by REF(0x7d3c58) [refcount 1], which is
40 in the member 'ukukey' of HASH(0x756660), which is 52 | | in the lexical '$closure' in CODE(0x7ae530) [refcount 2], which is
41 in the global %Test::hash. 53 | | +- the containing scope for CODE(0x8ab430) [refcount 3], which is
54 | | | in the global &Test::testsub.
55 | | +- the main body of the program.
56 | +- in the lexical '&' in CODE(0x7ae530) [refcount 2], which was seen before.
57 +- referenced by REF(0x7cc7c8) [refcount 1], which is
58 | in the lexical '$global_my' in CODE(0x7ae530) [refcount 2], which was seen before.
42 in the global $Test::var. 59 +- in the global $Test::var.
43 referenced by REF(0x6760e0), which is 60 +- referenced by REF(0x7cc558) [refcount 1], which is
44 in the member 'ukukey2' of HASH(0x676f30), which is 61 | in the member 'ukukey2' of HASH(0x7ae140) [refcount 2], which is
45 referenced by REF(0x77bcf0), which is 62 | +- referenced by REF(0x8abad0) [refcount 1], which is
46 in the lexical '$local' in CODE(0x77bcb0), which is 63 | | in the lexical '$testsub_local' in CODE(0x8ab430) [refcount 3], which was seen before.
47 in the global &Test::testsub. 64 | +- referenced by REF(0x8ab4f0) [refcount 1], which is
48 referenced by REF(0x77bc80), which is
49 in the global $Test::hash2. 65 | in the global $Test::global_hashref.
66 +- referenced by REF(0x7ae518) [refcount 1], which is
67 | in the member 'ukukey' of HASH(0x7d3bb0) [refcount 1], which is
68 | in the global %Test::global_hash.
69 +- referenced by REF(0x7ae2f0) [refcount 1], which is
70 a temporary on the stack.
50 71
51 It is a bit convoluted to read, but basically it says that the value 72 It is a bit convoluted to read, but basically it says that the value
52 stored in $var can be found: 73 stored in $var is referenced by:
53 74
54 - in some variable $x whose origin is not known (I frankly have no idea 75 - the lexical $closure_var (0x8abcc8), which is inside an instantiated
55 why, hints accepted). 76 closure, which in turn is used quite a bit.
56 - in the hash element with key "ukukey" in the hash stored in 77 - the package-level lexical $global_my.
57 %Test::hash.
58 - in the global variable named $Test::var. 78 - the global package variable named $Test::var.
59 - in the hash element "ukukey2", in the hash in the my variable $local 79 - the hash element "ukukey2", in the hash in the my variable
60 in the sub "Test::testsub" and also in the hash referenced by 80 $testsub_local in the sub "Test::testsub" and also in the hash
61 $Test::hash2. 81 "$referenced by Test::hash2".
82 - the hash element with key "ukukey" in the hash stored in %Test::hash.
83 - some anonymous mortalised reference on the stack (which is caused by
84 calling "track" with the expression "\$var", which creates the
85 reference).
86
87 And all these account for six reference counts.
62 88
63EXPORTS 89EXPORTS
64 None. 90 None.
65 91
66FUNCTIONS 92FUNCTIONS
… …
72 This is the function you most often use. 98 This is the function you most often use.
73 99
74 @references = Devel::FindRef::find $ref 100 @references = Devel::FindRef::find $ref
75 Return arrayrefs that contain [$message, $ref] pairs. The message 101 Return arrayrefs that contain [$message, $ref] pairs. The message
76 describes what kind of reference was found and the $ref is the 102 describes what kind of reference was found and the $ref is the
77 reference itself, which cna be omitted if "find" decided to end the 103 reference itself, which can be omitted if "find" decided to end the
78 search. 104 search. The returned references are all weak references.
79 105
80 The "track" function uses this to find references to the value you 106 The "track" function uses this to find references to the value you
81 are interested in and recurses on the returned references. 107 are interested in and recurses on the returned references.
82 108
83 $ref = Devel::FindRef::ptr2ref $integer 109 $ref = Devel::FindRef::ptr2ref $integer
… …
88 call on invalid ones. 114 call on invalid ones.
89 115
90 # we know that HASH(0x176ff70) exists, so turn it into a hashref: 116 # we know that HASH(0x176ff70) exists, so turn it into a hashref:
91 my $ref_to_hash = Devel::FindRef::ptr2ref 0x176ff70; 117 my $ref_to_hash = Devel::FindRef::ptr2ref 0x176ff70;
92 118
119 $ref = Devel::FindRef::ref2ptr $reference
120 The opposite of "ptr2ref", above: returns the internal address of
121 the value pointed to by the passed reference. *No checks whatsoever
122 will be done*, so don't use this.
123
124ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
125 You can set the environment variable "PERL_DEVEL_FINDREF_DEPTH" to an
126 integer to override the default depth in "track". If a call explicitly
127 specified a depth it is not overridden.
128
93AUTHOR 129AUTHOR
94 Marc Lehmann <pcg@goof.com>. 130 Marc Lehmann <pcg@goof.com>.
95 131
96BUGS
97 Only code values, arrays, hashes, scalars and magic are being looked at.
98
99 This is a quick hack only.
100
101COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE 132COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE
102 Copyright (C) 2007 by Marc Lehmann. 133 Copyright (C) 2007, 2008 by Marc Lehmann.
103 134
104 This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it 135 This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
105 under the same terms as Perl itself, either Perl version 5.8.8 or, at 136 under the same terms as Perl itself, either Perl version 5.8.8 or, at
106 your option, any later version of Perl 5 you may have available. 137 your option, any later version of Perl 5 you may have available.
107 138

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