SPUG: do vs. eval with Data::Dumper

[Stuart Poulin]

--- Tim Maher/CONSULTIX <tim at consultix-inc.com> wrote:
> SPUGsters (and E-SPUGsters),
> ...
> I found a solution, but it shouldn't work, from what I read! 8-}
> Specifically, although the Camel says that "do file" is the same as
> "eval `cat file`" (p. 158), except for a few minor details, I'm finding
> evidence that there's a fundamental difference.
> 
> It looks like "do" is executing the code in its own scope, but eval is
> using the surrounding scope.
> ...

I think I ran into the same thing a while back.  Charles DeRykus pointed out
that the documentation has been changed.

-Stu

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> I was looking for a cheap rc type file behavior.  I thought I could just use a
> "do" file with variables in it - but I wanted "use strict" to be enforced. The
> perlfunc man page says:
>    do 'stat.pl';
>      is just like
>    scalar eval `cat stat.pl`;

> This doesn't appear to be true.  This is on win98 so s/cat/type/ but "type" is
> expensive as far as run time.  Is there a way to force a "use strict" on do
> files?

Stu,


I noticed now that Tom Christiansen has amended the docs
slightly to say:

do $file is like eval `cat $file`, except the former:

  1.1  searchs @INC and updates @INC
  1.2  bequeaths an unrelated "lexical" scope on the eval'ed code

(See:  http://x32.deja.com/[ST_rn=ps]/getdoc.xp?AN=503977526&CONTEXT=933300222.1535180873&hitnum=1)

That's rather confusing though and doesn't account for instance
why 'use constant' is visible whereas 'use strict' pragma isn't 
in the case below:

     package main;
     ...
     package doit:
     use strict;              # doesn't propagate to 'do file'  
     use constant CONS => 3   # does       "       "    "

     package main;
    
     package doit;
     do "doit.pl";


    #--------------------------
    # doit.pl
      $whoops = "toss_an_error";
      print "CONS = ", CONS, "\n";  # prints CONS = 3


So, you'll probably have to insert a 'use strict' in doit.pl
unless I'm missing something.


Regards,
--
Charles DeRykus