Subject: Alias-2.1 released
From: [email-masked] (Gurusamy Sarathy)
Date: 7 Apr 1996 01:35:02 GMT
Newsgroups: comp.lang.perl.announce,comp.lang.perl.misc

Version 2.1 of "Alias", the perl module that performs data
aliasing services, has been uploaded to CPAN.

You can get it from the CPAN multiplexer at "http://perl.com/CPAN/".

Here are the changes from the previous version:

   + C<attr> now returns the passed value.
    
   + We C<require 5.002>.
    
   + C<attr> is now prototyped to ($).
    
   + "private" methods are now supported.
    
   + *a = \*b work around has been removed (fixed in 5.002)
    
   + Documentation, testsuite additions.

If you haven't looked at Alias yet, you may find it useful if you:

   * are tired of dereferencing hash-based object attributes

   * wish perl could make-do with fewer $, -> and {} things 

   * are a little scared of using typeglobs

   * want the freedom to put what you want, when you want in
     the symbol table without having to deal with wierd syntax

   * need to use scalar constants in your program since you don't
     trust yourself from changing $PI 

Most notably, there is an C<attr> function that installs a whole 
hash on the symbol table with implicit localization. This allows 
you to access object attributes without having to deref the object 
everytime, as in most other OO languages.

As always, comments are very welcome.

 - Sarathy.
   [email-masked]