Provided by: libmoose-perl_2.2206-1_amd64 
NAME
Moose::Meta::Attribute - The Moose attribute metaclass
VERSION
version 2.2206
DESCRIPTION
This class is a subclass of Class::MOP::Attribute that provides additional Moose-specific
functionality.
To really understand this class, you will need to start with the Class::MOP::Attribute
documentation. This class can be understood as a set of additional features on top of the
basic feature provided by that parent class.
INHERITANCE
"Moose::Meta::Attribute" is a subclass of Class::MOP::Attribute.
METHODS
Many of the documented below override methods in Class::MOP::Attribute and add Moose
specific features.
Creation
Moose::Meta::Attribute->new($name, %options)
This method overrides the Class::MOP::Attribute constructor.
Many of the options below are described in more detail in the
Moose::Manual::Attributes document.
It adds the following options to the constructor:
• is => 'ro', 'rw', 'bare'
This provides a shorthand for specifying the "reader", "writer", or "accessor"
names. If the attribute is read-only ('ro') then it will have a "reader"
method with the same attribute as the name.
If it is read-write ('rw') then it will have an "accessor" method with the
same name. If you provide an explicit "writer" for a read-write attribute,
then you will have a "reader" with the same name as the attribute, and a
"writer" with the name you provided.
Use 'bare' when you are deliberately not installing any methods (accessor,
reader, etc.) associated with this attribute; otherwise, Moose will issue a
warning when this attribute is added to a metaclass.
• isa => $type
This option accepts a type. The type can be a string, which should be a type
name. If the type name is unknown, it is assumed to be a class name.
This option can also accept a Moose::Meta::TypeConstraint object.
If you also provide a "does" option, then your "isa" option must be a class
name, and that class must do the role specified with "does".
• does => $role
This is short-hand for saying that the attribute's type must be an object
which does the named role.
• coerce => $bool
This option is only valid for objects with a type constraint ("isa") that
defined a coercion. If this is true, then coercions will be applied whenever
this attribute is set.
You cannot make both this and the "weak_ref" option true.
• trigger => $sub
This option accepts a subroutine reference, which will be called after the
attribute is set.
• required => $bool
An attribute which is required must be provided to the constructor. An
attribute which is required can also have a "default" or "builder", which will
satisfy its required-ness.
A required attribute must have a "default", "builder" or a non-"undef"
"init_arg"
• lazy => $bool
A lazy attribute must have a "default" or "builder". When an attribute is
lazy, the default value will not be calculated until the attribute is read.
• weak_ref => $bool
If this is true, the attribute's value will be stored as a weak reference.
• documentation
An arbitrary string that can be retrieved later by calling
"$attr->documentation".
• auto_deref => $bool
Note that in cases where you want this feature you are often better served by
using a Moose::Meta::Attribute::Native trait instead.
If this is true, then the reader will dereference the value when it is called.
The attribute must have a type constraint which defines the attribute as an
array or hash reference.
• lazy_build => $bool
Note that use of this feature is strongly discouraged. Some documentation used
to encourage use of this feature as a best practice, but we have changed our
minds.
Setting this to true makes the attribute lazy and provides a number of default
methods.
has 'size' => (
is => 'ro',
lazy_build => 1,
);
is equivalent to this:
has 'size' => (
is => 'ro',
lazy => 1,
builder => '_build_size',
clearer => 'clear_size',
predicate => 'has_size',
);
If your attribute name starts with an underscore ("_"), then the clearer and
predicate will as well:
has '_size' => (
is => 'ro',
lazy_build => 1,
);
becomes:
has '_size' => (
is => 'ro',
lazy => 1,
builder => '_build__size',
clearer => '_clear_size',
predicate => '_has_size',
);
Note the doubled underscore in the builder name. Internally, Moose simply
prepends the attribute name with "_build_" to come up with the builder name.
• role_attribute => $role_attribute
If provided, this should be a Moose::Meta::Role::Attribute object.
$attr->clone(%options)
This creates a new attribute based on attribute being cloned. You must supply a "name"
option to provide a new name for the attribute.
The %options can only specify options handled by Class::MOP::Attribute.
Value management
$attr->initialize_instance_slot($meta_instance, $instance, $params)
This method is used internally to initialize the attribute's slot in the object
$instance.
This overrides the Class::MOP::Attribute method to handle lazy attributes, weak
references, and type constraints.
get_value
set_value
eval { $point->meta->get_attribute('x')->set_value($point, 'forty-two') };
if($@) {
print "Oops: $@\n";
}
Attribute (x) does not pass the type constraint (Int) with 'forty-two'
Before setting the value, a check is made on the type constraint of the attribute, if
it has one, to see if the value passes it. If the value fails to pass, the set
operation dies.
Any coercion to convert values is done before checking the type constraint.
To check a value against a type constraint before setting it, fetch the attribute
instance using "find_attribute_by_name" in Class::MOP::Class, fetch the
type_constraint from the attribute using "type_constraint" in Moose::Meta::Attribute
and call "check" in Moose::Meta::TypeConstraint. See
Moose::Cookbook::Basics::Company_Subtypes for an example.
Attribute Accessor generation
$attr->install_accessors
This method overrides the parent to also install delegation methods.
If, after installing all methods, the attribute object has no associated methods, it
throws an error unless "is => 'bare'" was passed to the attribute constructor.
(Trying to add an attribute that has no associated methods is almost always an error.)
$attr->remove_accessors
This method overrides the parent to also remove delegation methods.
$attr->inline_set($instance_var, $value_var)
This method return a code snippet suitable for inlining the relevant operation. It
expect strings containing variable names to be used in the inlining, like '$self' or
'$_[1]'.
$attr->install_delegation
This method adds its delegation methods to the attribute's associated class, if it has
any to add.
$attr->remove_delegation
This method remove its delegation methods from the attribute's associated class.
$attr->accessor_metaclass
Returns the accessor metaclass name, which defaults to Moose::Meta::Method::Accessor.
$attr->delegation_metaclass
Returns the delegation metaclass name, which defaults to
Moose::Meta::Method::Delegation.
Additional Moose features
These methods are not found in the superclass. They support features provided by Moose.
$attr->does($role)
This indicates whether the attribute itself does the given role. The role can be given
as a full class name, or as a resolvable trait name.
Note that this checks the attribute itself, not its type constraint, so it is checking
the attribute's metaclass and any traits applied to the attribute.
Moose::Meta::Class->interpolate_class_and_new($name, %options)
This is an alternate constructor that handles the "metaclass" and "traits" options.
Effectively, this method is a factory that finds or creates the appropriate class for
the given "metaclass" and/or "traits".
Once it has the appropriate class, it will call "$class->new($name, %options)" on that
class.
$attr->clone_and_inherit_options(%options)
This method supports the "has '+foo'" feature. It does various bits of processing on
the supplied %options before ultimately calling the "clone" method.
One of its main tasks is to make sure that the %options provided does not include the
options returned by the "illegal_options_for_inheritance" method.
$attr->illegal_options_for_inheritance
This returns a blacklist of options that can not be overridden in a subclass's
attribute definition.
This exists to allow a custom metaclass to change or add to the list of options which
can not be changed.
$attr->type_constraint
Returns the Moose::Meta::TypeConstraint object for this attribute, if it has one.
$attr->has_type_constraint
Returns true if this attribute has a type constraint.
$attr->verify_against_type_constraint($value)
Given a value, this method returns true if the value is valid for the attribute's type
constraint. If the value is not valid, it throws an error.
$attr->handles
This returns the value of the "handles" option passed to the constructor.
$attr->has_handles
Returns true if this attribute performs delegation.
$attr->is_weak_ref
Returns true if this attribute stores its value as a weak reference.
$attr->is_required
Returns true if this attribute is required to have a value.
$attr->is_lazy
Returns true if this attribute is lazy.
$attr->is_lazy_build
Returns true if the "lazy_build" option was true when passed to the constructor.
$attr->should_coerce
Returns true if the "coerce" option passed to the constructor was true.
$attr->should_auto_deref
Returns true if the "auto_deref" option passed to the constructor was true.
$attr->trigger
This is the subroutine reference that was in the "trigger" option passed to the
constructor, if any.
$attr->has_trigger
Returns true if this attribute has a trigger set.
$attr->documentation
Returns the value that was in the "documentation" option passed to the constructor, if
any.
$attr->has_documentation
Returns true if this attribute has any documentation.
$attr->role_attribute
Returns the Moose::Meta::Role::Attribute object from which this attribute was created,
if any. This may return "undef".
$attr->has_role_attribute
Returns true if this attribute has an associated role attribute.
$attr->applied_traits
This returns an array reference of all the traits which were applied to this
attribute. If none were applied, this returns "undef".
$attr->has_applied_traits
Returns true if this attribute has any traits applied.
BUGS
See "BUGS" in Moose for details on reporting bugs.
AUTHORS
• Stevan Little <stevan@cpan.org>
• Dave Rolsky <autarch@urth.org>
• Jesse Luehrs <doy@cpan.org>
• Shawn M Moore <sartak@cpan.org>
• יובל קוג'מן (Yuval Kogman) <nothingmuch@woobling.org>
• Karen Etheridge <ether@cpan.org>
• Florian Ragwitz <rafl@debian.org>
• Hans Dieter Pearcey <hdp@cpan.org>
• Chris Prather <chris@prather.org>
• Matt S Trout <mstrout@cpan.org>
COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE
This software is copyright (c) 2006 by Infinity Interactive, Inc.
This is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as
the Perl 5 programming language system itself.