Using "my" 1

• Jul 2, 2004

• Thread starter
• #2

Edge118

Programmer

Jun 15, 2004

104

US

Also, can someone elaborate on what the point of 'my' is?

Thanks

"Pin me. Perl me."

Regards,

Chris

 

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• Jul 2, 2004

1
• #3

EBGreen

Programmer

Apr 1, 2004

2,867

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The keyword my essentially restricts the scope of a variable to the block in which it is declared. It is much more complicated than that, but that, as I understand it, is the gist of it.

[red]"... isn't sanity really just a one trick pony anyway?! I mean, all you get is one trick, rational thinking, but when you are good and crazy, oooh, oooh, oooh, the sky is the limit!" - The Tick[/red]

 

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• Jul 2, 2004

• Thread starter
• #4

Edge118

Programmer

Jun 15, 2004

104

US

Is it good practice to use 'my' when using variables in my Perl scripts?

"Pin me. Perl me."

Regards,

Chris

 

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• Jul 2, 2004

• #5

EBGreen

Programmer

Apr 1, 2004

2,867

US

Yes I think it is very good practices. If for no other reason than that if you use my and use strict; then you will never spend days searching for where you accidentally mispelled some variable name.

[red]"... isn't sanity really just a one trick pony anyway?! I mean, all you get is one trick, rational thinking, but when you are good and crazy, oooh, oooh, oooh, the sky is the limit!" - The Tick[/red]

 

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• Jul 2, 2004

• #6

arn0ld

Programmer

Mar 7, 2003

187

US

unless you say otherwise, all perl variables are global.

thus, the need for "my, local, our".

As in all searches for enlightenment - google:
"perl tutorial my variable

 

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• Jul 2, 2004

• #7

nawlej

Programmer

Mar 26, 2004

380

US

if you declare it as "my" at the top of main, without being inside of a loop, or elsewhere, I think that still means it is global.

___________________________________
[morse]--... ...--[/morse], Eric.

 

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• Jul 3, 2004

• #8

tviman

Programmer

Jul 25, 2002

2,123

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Use the STRICT statement and try to run your script without using MY.

There's always a better way. The fun is trying to find it!

 

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• Jul 5, 2004

• #9

ishnid

Programmer

Aug 29, 2003

1,422

IE

The general rule of thumb is always to use 'my' unless you have a particular reason to use 'local' or 'our'.

nawlej - declaring a variable with 'my' *never* makes it global. If you happen to do so at the top of the script, then it will still be in scope anywhere in that package but won't be visible from any other package.

 

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