Re: as long as we are discussing 'nice to have's...

2001-07-25 Thread Bryan C. Warnock

On Monday 23 July 2001 14:05, Dave Storrs wrote:
>   No, I do not mean something like Devel::DProf; that is a
> module.  I mean something that is in the core binary, the same way that
> the perl debugger is in the core binary.  

Except that the perl debugger is not in the perl binary.  There are hooks in 
the binary that a program may use for debugging, profiling, and such.  perl 
-d simply invokes one of those programs by default. 

In some sense, these hooks could simply be replaced by the previously 
mentioned (BEGIN|END) (BLOCK|STATEMENT) structure - since that is mainly what 
they are.

-- 
Bryan C. Warnock
[EMAIL PROTECTED]




Re: as long as we are discussing 'nice to have's...

2001-07-24 Thread Steve Fink

[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

> On Sat, Jul 21, 2001 at 02:47:43PM -0700, Dave Storrs wrote:
> 
>>I discovered today that I had forgotten to put 'use strict' at the top of
>>one of my modules...it was in the script that _used_ the module, but not
>>in the module itself.  Putting it in instantly caught several annoying
>>bugs that I'd been trying to track down.
> 
> A better way might be something which simply detects if you forgot to
> use strict.  Stick that in your Makefile.PL and it will scan your
> libraries everytime and report back stupid mistakes.
> 
> I'm working on something like that, just having a little trouble
> nailing down how to detect 'use strict' from the B compiler.  It's
> possible, I know that much.
> 
>>It would be nice if there was a 
>>
>>  use strict 'recursive';
>>
>>option that you could set in a script or module (package, whatever) which
>>would force all the modules it used to operate under strict.


How about something similar to PERL5OPT that, instead of inserting stuff 
onto the command line, inserted stuff into every package defined? That 
way, you wouldn't worry about people shipping code with it defined; it 
would only be useful as a development aid. (I've run across the same 
problem many times. "Hey! Why didn't use strict catch this? ...oh, not 
again!")




Re: as long as we are discussing 'nice to have's...

2001-07-24 Thread Bart Lateur

On Sat, 21 Jul 2001 14:47:43 -0700 (PDT), Dave Storrs wrote:

>I discovered today that I had forgotten to put 'use strict' at the top of
>one of my modules...it was in the script that _used_ the module, but not
>in the module itself.  Putting it in instantly caught several annoying
>bugs that I'd been trying to track down.
>
>It would be nice if there was...

No. Your script should not be responsible for debugging modules. Modules
are supposed to be debugged already, and are the responsibility of the
module author, not the script writer.

-- 
Bart.



Re: as long as we are discussing 'nice to have's...

2001-07-23 Thread Dan Sugalski

At 02:47 PM 7/21/2001 -0700, Dave Storrs wrote:
>Second topic:
>
>The debugger API PDD that I submitted a couple of days ago suggested that
>we incorporate a profiler into the core.  What do people think of this
>idea?

A simple version will probably be included--I expect to hack one together 
for my own purposes, so I don't see why a cleanish version of it ought not 
go into the core distribution.

Dan

--"it's like this"---
Dan Sugalski  even samurai
[EMAIL PROTECTED] have teddy bears and even
  teddy bears get drunk




Re: as long as we are discussing 'nice to have's...

2001-07-23 Thread Jonathan Scott Duff

On Mon, Jul 23, 2001 at 10:56:41AM -0700, Dave Storrs wrote:
>   A good point.  There should definitely be a clean API so that
> other people can develop their own profilers which could then be plugged
> in.  This still leaves the question though...should core provide a default
> profiler?

What do you mean by "core" here? There is already a profiler provided as
one of the standard modules (which will presumably be part of perl6).
Are you suggesting that there should be language hooks for profiling
built into perl rather than as a module?

-Scott
-- 
Jonathan Scott Duff
[EMAIL PROTECTED]



Re: as long as we are discussing 'nice to have's...

2001-07-23 Thread Dave Storrs



On Sun, 22 Jul 2001, Johan Vromans wrote:

> Dave Storrs <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
> 
> > I discovered today that I had forgotten to put 'use strict' at the top of
> > one of my modules...it was in the script that _used_ the module, but not
> > in the module itself.  Putting it in instantly caught several annoying
> > bugs that I'd been trying to track down.
> > 
> > It would be nice if there was a 
> > 
> > use strict 'recursive';
> 
> Good reasoning, although this occurs to me as trying to kill a fly
> with a nuclear bomb.


Ah, but note that, while using a nuke as a flyswatter may be
massive overkill, it is also very _effective_. :>

 
> The essence of modules is that they are independent, and are
> unaffected by outside pragmata. This is what makes them reusable.
> A 'recursive' pragma would break that. 


True, a recursive pragma would break a module's ability to manage
its own internals as it pleases. However, if I _want_ them to be affected,
there is no reason they shouldn't be...it's like any other powerful
technique; if I misapply it, I am responsible for the consequences.


Dave




Re: as long as we are discussing 'nice to have's...

2001-07-23 Thread Uri Guttman

> "DS" == Dave Storrs <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:

  DS>   A good point.  There should definitely be a clean API so that
  DS> other people can develop their own profilers which could then be
  DS> plugged in.  This still leaves the question though...should core
  DS> provide a default profiler?

it should provide a core API HOOK for debugger and profiler like
stuff. and prolly a standard profiler module would be in the distro. but
a normal program would not load the profiler so it is not in the core
(by that def of core). it should be in the standard lib

uri

-- 
Uri Guttman  -  [EMAIL PROTECTED]  --  http://www.sysarch.com
SYStems ARCHitecture and Stem Development -- http://www.stemsystems.com
Search or Offer Perl Jobs  --  http://jobs.perl.org



Re: as long as we are discussing 'nice to have's...

2001-07-23 Thread Dave Storrs



On Sat, 21 Jul 2001 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

> On Sat, Jul 21, 2001 at 02:47:43PM -0700, Dave Storrs wrote:
> 
> > It would be nice if there was a 
> > 
> > use strict 'recursive';
> > 
> > option that you could set in a script or module (package, whatever) which
> > would force all the modules it used to operate under strict.
> 
> HUGE MASSIVE PROBLEM HERE!  This might be useful if *all* the modules
> you use and *all* the modules which are then used are *all* under your
> control and that none of them are have elected to *not* use strict for
> some reason (like Exporter, which would be silly to use strict
> 'refs').  Otherwise, you're just causing unnecessary bugs.


Please note that I addressed this in my original post.  This was
the specific reason that I suggested the "exclude" option.


> > Second topic:
> > 
> > The debugger API PDD that I submitted a couple of days ago suggested that
> > we incorporate a profiler into the core.  What do people think of this
> > idea?
> 
> You mean like Devel::DProf, the profiler that's already in the core?
> ;) And is this new debugger API like the current debugger API, DB.pm?
> (Actually, I hope it isn't.  Just making sure you're aware of what's
> already there.)


No, I do not mean something like Devel::DProf; that is a
module.  I mean something that is in the core binary, the same way that
the perl debugger is in the core binary.  Perhaps I should have made a
distinction between 'core' meaning "inside the perl binary" and 'core'
meaning "distributed in the default bundle which includes the perl binary
and a whole slew of Perl- and/or XS-based modules."


I agree that it should be possible to use any debugger and/or
profiler you choose.  I am simply asking if we should provide a default
profiler, in the core binary, which will be invoked when no other
profiler is specified.

Dave




Re: as long as we are discussing 'nice to have's...

2001-07-23 Thread Dave Storrs



On Sat, 21 Jul 2001, Dan Brian wrote:

> > The debugger API PDD that I submitted a couple of days ago suggested that
> > we incorporate a profiler into the core.  What do people think of this
> > idea?
> 
> I think that with a clean API, many third-party profilers could and would
> be created. I am skeptical of the value of putting it in the core, when a
> well-designed API would exist specifically with the end of getting some of
> that work out of the porter's pockets, and instead allow the World to
> develop their own, much as it currently happens with Java.


A good point.  There should definitely be a clean API so that
other people can develop their own profilers which could then be plugged
in.  This still leaves the question though...should core provide a default
profiler?

Dave




Re: as long as we are discussing 'nice to have's...

2001-07-22 Thread Johan Vromans

Dave Storrs <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:

> I discovered today that I had forgotten to put 'use strict' at the top of
> one of my modules...it was in the script that _used_ the module, but not
> in the module itself.  Putting it in instantly caught several annoying
> bugs that I'd been trying to track down.
> 
> It would be nice if there was a 
> 
>   use strict 'recursive';

Good reasoning, although this occurs to me as trying to kill a fly
with a nuclear bomb.

The essence of modules is that they are independent, and are
unaffected by outside pragmata. This is what makes them reusable.
A 'recursive' pragma would break that. 

-- Johan





Re: as long as we are discussing 'nice to have's...

2001-07-21 Thread Uri Guttman

> "DS" == Dave Storrs <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:

  DS> Second topic:

  DS> The debugger API PDD that I submitted a couple of days ago suggested that
  DS> we incorporate a profiler into the core.  What do people think of this
  DS> idea?

only if it can be shut off with no penalty. that may mean a variant op
code loop that is run when you profile. just having runtime flags for
that may be too slow. i will bring it up at the op code bof.

uri

-- 
Uri Guttman  -  [EMAIL PROTECTED]  --  http://www.sysarch.com
SYStems ARCHitecture and Stem Development -- http://www.stemsystems.com
Search or Offer Perl Jobs  --  http://jobs.perl.org



Re: as long as we are discussing 'nice to have's...

2001-07-21 Thread schwern

On Sat, Jul 21, 2001 at 02:47:43PM -0700, Dave Storrs wrote:
> I discovered today that I had forgotten to put 'use strict' at the top of
> one of my modules...it was in the script that _used_ the module, but not
> in the module itself.  Putting it in instantly caught several annoying
> bugs that I'd been trying to track down.

A better way might be something which simply detects if you forgot to
use strict.  Stick that in your Makefile.PL and it will scan your
libraries everytime and report back stupid mistakes.

I'm working on something like that, just having a little trouble
nailing down how to detect 'use strict' from the B compiler.  It's
possible, I know that much.


> It would be nice if there was a 
> 
>   use strict 'recursive';
> 
> option that you could set in a script or module (package, whatever) which
> would force all the modules it used to operate under strict.

HUGE MASSIVE PROBLEM HERE!  This might be useful if *all* the modules
you use and *all* the modules which are then used are *all* under your
control and that none of them are have elected to *not* use strict for
some reason (like Exporter, which would be silly to use strict
'refs').  Otherwise, you're just causing unnecessary bugs.

Attempting to apply blanket compile-time style requirements
recursively runs into massive problems like this.  It's all or
nothing.

Taint mode currently has the same problem, its all or nothing.  You
turn on taint, and every single module you use has to behave.  This
might be good for security, but it makes it really, really hard to use
for all practical purposes.


The basic problem is any sort of C boils down
"I am going to enforce my style upon every piece of code I run into,
whether or not I wrote it" and that rapidly gets nasty.  Taint has
this same problem, but it's supposed to be paranoid.  strict isn't.


> Second topic:
> 
> The debugger API PDD that I submitted a couple of days ago suggested that
> we incorporate a profiler into the core.  What do people think of this
> idea?

You mean like Devel::DProf, the profiler that's already in the core?
;) And is this new debugger API like the current debugger API, DB.pm?
(Actually, I hope it isn't.  Just making sure you're aware of what's
already there.)


-- 
Michael G Schwern   <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>   http://www.pobox.com/~schwern/
Perl6 Quality Assurance <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>   Kwalitee Is Job One



Re: as long as we are discussing 'nice to have's...

2001-07-21 Thread Dan Brian

> The debugger API PDD that I submitted a couple of days ago suggested that
> we incorporate a profiler into the core.  What do people think of this
> idea?

I think that with a clean API, many third-party profilers could and would
be created. I am skeptical of the value of putting it in the core, when a
well-designed API would exist specifically with the end of getting some of
that work out of the porter's pockets, and instead allow the World to
develop their own, much as it currently happens with Java.