MCE seemingly stray array in sample code for Strassen's algorithm

cormanaz has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

Good day bros. I am trying to implement some sample code in mod MCE for implementing Strassen's algorithm for matrix multiplication. At the beginning of the subroutines is the following:

######################################################################
+#########
 # * # * # * # * # * # * # * # * # * # * # * # * # * # * # * # * # * #
+ * # * #
######################################################################
+#########

my @p;

sub store_result {

   my ($n, $result) = @_;

   $p[$n] = $result;

   return;
}

sub configure_and_spawn_mce {

   return MCE->new(

      max_workers => 7,

      user_func   => sub {
         my $self = $_[0];
         my $data = $self->{user_data};

         my $tam = $data->[3];
         my $result = [ ];
         strassen_r($data->[0], $data->[1], $result, $tam);

         $self->do('store_result', $data->[2], $result);
      }

   )->spawn;
}
[download]

My question is about the my @p. This occurs after the completion of the main script, yet it is declared as a local variable so it is within the scope of the main script. It is referenced in sub store_result but is outside its scope. My debugger (Komodo) doesn't flag this as a problem, which it seems like it should. Does anyone know what's going on here? I have not used MCE so maybe it's something peculiar about it?

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Re: MCE seemingly stray array in sample code for Strassen's algorithm by kcott (Archbishop) on Apr 14, 2013 at 01:38 UTC
G'day cormanaz, `@p` is a global variable visible to all the subroutines (i.e. in scope). It's used in `strassen()` as well as `store_result()` (as you pointed out). Here's a simplified example of what you're seeing. Both subroutines have access to the global array `@nums`: `$ perl -Mstrict -Mwarnings -E ' say "Hello, world!"; populate_nums(); report_nums(); my @nums; sub populate_nums { push @nums => 0 .. 9 } sub report_nums { say "@nums" } ' Hello, world! 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9` [download] Here, only `populate_nums()` has access: `$ perl -Mstrict -Mwarnings -E ' say "Hello, world!"; populate_nums(); report_nums(); my @nums; sub populate_nums { push @nums => 0 .. 9 } sub report_nums { my @nums; say "@nums" } ' Hello, world!` [download] Perhaps take a look at perlintro - Variable scoping; and follow-up with perlsub - Private Variables via my(). -- Ken	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^2: MCE seemingly stray array in sample code for Strassen's algorithm by BillKSmith (Monsignor) on Apr 14, 2013 at 02:33 UTC
Your use of the word "global" is truly discriptive, but I believe that perl documentation reserves it for package variables. A possible alternative is "file scope variable". Example: The description of "our" in perlfunc contains the following quote. our associates a simple name with a package (read: global) variable in the current package,... Bill	[reply]
Re^3: MCE seemingly stray array in sample code for Strassen's algorithm by NetWallah (Canon) on Apr 14, 2013 at 05:32 UTC
"File scope" is also potentially incorrect - if the code has several nested blocks in the file, only those declared in the outer-most block could be considered to be "File scope". The correct terminology is "lexical scope". From "perldoc -f my" : .... local (lexically) to the enclosing block, file, or "eval". In this case, the subroutine is accessing a variable declared in an enclosing block. I suppose this could be considered "global to the subroutine". "I'm fairly sure if they took porn off the Internet, there'd only be one website left, and it'd be called 'Bring Back the Porn!'" -- Dr. Cox, Scrubs	[reply]
Re^2: MCE seemingly stray array in sample code for Strassen's algorithm by cormanaz (Deacon) on Apr 14, 2013 at 12:09 UTC
Well blow me down. I have thought all these years that a variable declared "my" in the main block was only accessible in the main block and not in its subs, and that to make it accessible you had to declare it "our." I guess not!	[reply]
Re^3: MCE seemingly stray array in sample code for Strassen's algorithm by marioroy (Prior) on Dec 13, 2014 at 02:51 UTC
Hi all, The @p array in question, by the OP, is updated by the MCE manager process only and not by the workers themselves. The $self->do(...) method sends data to the manager process.	[reply]