my $PACKAGE = caller(0); #### package Private; use Exporter; @ISA = 'Exporter'; @EXPORT = 'is_private'; use strict; use warnings; use Carp; sub is_private() { my %c0; @c0{qw( pkg fn l sub )} = caller 0; my %c1; @c1{qw( pkg fn l sub )} = caller 1; if ( $c0{'pkg'} ne $c1{'pkg'} ) # throw an exception: { my %c2; @c2{qw( pkg fn l sub )} = caller 2; my $caller = $c2{'sub'} || $c2{'pkg'} || 'main'; croak "$caller cannot call $c1{'sub'} (private to $c0{'pkg'})"; } } 1; #### { package Parent; use Private; sub private_method { is_private; print "Private method calleed OK.\n" } sub public_method { $_[0]->private_method } } { package Child; use base 'Parent'; sub child_calling_private { $_[0]->private_method } sub child_calling_public { $_[0]->public_method } } package main; print "\nBase class: call private method directly:\n"; eval { Parent->private_method }; $@ and print $@; print "\nBase class: call public method that calls private method:\n"; eval { Parent->public_method; }; $@ and print $@; print "\nDerived class: call parent's private method directly:\n"; eval { Child->private_method }; $@ and print $@; print "\nDerived class: call parent's public method that calls private method:\n"; eval { Child->public_method; }; $@ and print $@; print "\nDerived class: call method that calls parent's private method:\n"; eval { Child->child_calling_private; }; $@ and print $@; print "\nDerived class: call method that calls parent's public method:\n"; eval { Child->child_calling_public; }; $@ and print $@;