package TestModule;
require DBI;

use AutoLoader;
use base 'Class::Base';

sub AUTOLOAD {
    my $op = $AUTOLOAD;
    $op =~ s/^.*:://;
    if ( DBI::db->can($op) ) {
        eval "sub $op { my \$self=shift; $self->{DBH}->$op(\@_); }";
    }
    else {
        eval "sub $op { return shift->error('Cannot autoload $op'); }";
    }
}
        
sub new {
    # new ( $dsn[, $user[, $pass]] )
    my $self = shift;
    return undef unless @_;
    my @args = @_;
    my $obj = {};
    
    eval {
        $obj->{DBH} = DBI->connect(@args);
    };
    if ($@) {
        return $self->error("Unable to connect to DB: $@");
    }
    
    bless $obj, $self;
}

##</code><code>##

use Test::More tests => 9;
# ... snipped setup of $obj = new & etc.
my $sth = $obj->prepare('SELECT * FROM test_table');
can_ok($obj, 'prepare'); #succeeds!

# this fails:
isnt  ($sth, undef, 'prepare creates statement handle');

##</code><code>##

sub AUTOLOAD {
	my $op = $AUTOLOAD;
	$op =~ s/^.*:://;
	if ( DBI::db->can($op) ) {
		eval "sub $op { return shift->{DBH}->$op(\@_); }";
		$op->(@_);
	}
	else {
		eval "sub $op { return shift->error('Cannot autoload $op'); }";
	}
}

##</code><code>##

# sets up autoload subs that 'inherit' DBI's DBH methods
sub AUTOLOAD {
    my $op = $AUTOLOAD;
    my $self = shift;
    $op =~ s/^.*:://;
    if ( DBI::db->can($op) ) {
        # create a wrapper for a DBH method
        eval "sub $op { return shift->{DBH}->$op(\@_); }";
        $op->($self, @_);
    }
    elsif ( $op =~ /^_/ ) {
        # return the appropriate attribute
        $op =~ s/^_//;
        exists $self->{$op} && return $self->{$op};
        return $self->error("Can't autoload for attribute _$op");
    }
    else {
        return $self->error("Cannot autoload $op");
    }
}