From what I know you are almost correct. adrianh has the problem but missed* in the turgid docs of perldoc:overload the implication of overload::StrVal which will return the pattern you specify. If that changed an endless chunk of code would break. Including Data::Dumper. You, or I or someone should post a documentation patch to make it permanent however.

Heres a more rigourous definition of a is_blessed test.

$is_blessed = defined($x) && ref($x) && overload::StrVal($x) =~ /=/;
[download]

Incidentally for this check its faster but less idiomatic to say

 
$is_blessd=defined($x) && ref($x) && (index(overload::StrVal($x),'=')>
+=0);
[download]

BTW, only if you choose to consider qr// constructs to be blessed then this test is fine. If you dont then you need something like

$is_blessd=defined($x) && ref($x) && (index(overload::StrVal($x),'=')>
+=0) 
    && overload::StrVal($x)!~/^Regexp=SCALAR/;
[download]

PS: Im hoping that its obvious that you have to use overload; for all of this.

Cheers,

update:* I didnt mean to imply that he was wrong about the Scalar::Util approach. However it is an extra module and the code I mention should be fine without it. Although it is a lot faster to use than all of the above.

--- demerphq
my friends call me, usually because I'm late....

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