SPUG: Perl logic module?

[Marc M. Adkins]

On Wednesday 24 March 2004 07:45 pm, Stuart Poulin wrote:
> Don't forget too that perl has a built in parser - you can sub in strings
> then eval the string. i.e.
> my $str = "-foo bar -a ( -bar stool -o -bar tab )";
> ...
>  return 0;
> }

A perfect example of what I love about Perl.  But then, I was a LISP 
programmer for four years.

My favorite configuration file format for Perl scripts:

	{
		flag1 => 1,
		flag2 => 'two',
		flag3 => [ qw(alpha bravo charlie) ],
		flag4 => {
			title => 'demo',
			priority => 99,
			temperature => 98.6
		}
	}

Q:	How many lines of Perl code does it take to parse the file?
A:	None, because the Perl parser does all the parsing!

Well, not none, of course.  Exactly how many is left as an exercise for the 
reader.

The only problem with using this as a general solution is protecting the 
script from a malicious user putting arbitrary code in it.  I use the Safe 
module to protect from that.  I've always suspected the name would turn out 
to be a misnomer some day, but when I search for articles to that effect I 
come up empty.  Anyone know anything about the safety of Safe?

mma