NAME

       Class::Data::Inheritable - Inheritable, overridable class data

SYNOPSIS

         package Stuff;
         use base qw(Class::Data::Inheritable);

         # Set up DataFile as inheritable class data.
         Stuff->mk_classdata('DataFile');

         # Declare the location of the data file for this class.
         Stuff->DataFile('/etc/stuff/data');

         # Or, all in one shot:
         Stuff->mk_classdata(DataFile => '/etc/stuff/data');

DESCRIPTION

       Class::Data::Inheritable is for creating accessor/mutators to class data.  That is, if you
       want to store something about your class as a whole (instead of about a single object).
       This data is then inherited by your subclasses and can be overridden.

       For example:

         Pere::Ubu->mk_classdata('Suitcase');

       will generate the method Suitcase() in the class Pere::Ubu.

       This new method can be used to get and set a piece of class data.

         Pere::Ubu->Suitcase('Red');
         $suitcase = Pere::Ubu->Suitcase;

       The interesting part happens when a class inherits from Pere::Ubu:

         package Raygun;
         use base qw(Pere::Ubu);

         # Raygun's suitcase is Red.
         $suitcase = Raygun->Suitcase;

       Raygun inherits its Suitcase class data from Pere::Ubu.

       Inheritance of class data works analogous to method inheritance.  As long as Raygun does
       not "override" its inherited class data (by using Suitcase() to set a new value) it will
       continue to use whatever is set in Pere::Ubu and inherit further changes:

         # Both Raygun's and Pere::Ubu's suitcases are now Blue
         Pere::Ubu->Suitcase('Blue');

       However, should Raygun decide to set its own Suitcase() it has now "overridden" Pere::Ubu
       and is on its own, just like if it had overridden a method:

         # Raygun has an orange suitcase, Pere::Ubu's is still Blue.
         Raygun->Suitcase('Orange');

       Now that Raygun has overridden Pere::Ubu further changes by Pere::Ubu no longer effect
       Raygun.

         # Raygun still has an orange suitcase, but Pere::Ubu is using Samsonite.
         Pere::Ubu->Suitcase('Samsonite');

Methods

   mk_classdata
         Class->mk_classdata($data_accessor_name);
         Class->mk_classdata($data_accessor_name => $value);

       This is a class method used to declare new class data accessors.  A new accessor will be
       created in the Class using the name from $data_accessor_name, and optionally initially
       setting it to the given value.

       To facilitate overriding, mk_classdata creates an alias to the accessor,
       _field_accessor().  So Suitcase() would have an alias _Suitcase_accessor() that does the
       exact same thing as Suitcase().  This is useful if you want to alter the behavior of a
       single accessor yet still get the benefits of inheritable class data.  For example.

         sub Suitcase {
             my($self) = shift;
             warn "Fashion tragedy" if @_ and $_[0] eq 'Plaid';

             $self->_Suitcase_accessor(@_);
         }

AUTHOR

       Original code by Damian Conway.

       Maintained by Michael G Schwern until September 2005.

       Now maintained by Tony Bowden.

BUGS and QUERIES

       Please direct all correspondence regarding this module to:
         bug-Class-Data-Inheritable@rt.cpan.org

COPYRIGHT and LICENSE

       Copyright (c) 2000-2005, Damian Conway and Michael G Schwern.  All Rights Reserved.

       This module is free software. It may be used, redistributed and/or modified under the same
       terms as Perl itself.

SEE ALSO

       perltooc has a very elaborate discussion of class data in Perl.