How do you expect a subroutine that is after the __END__ token to ever be compiled, let alone exported?

__END__
sub get_file_name {
    ...
}
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This looks like a throwback to the bad old days of AutoSplit -- which was a hinky trick at the best of times, and these days really doesn't make sense -- but if you really have a good reason to defer compilation, then you would need to be using the AutoSplit module.

Thank you so much for your time and your help. You absolutely nailed it.

In an attempt to test some changes I wanted to make to an existing custom module that is using AutoLoader and AutoSplit, I just copied it to a different directory and made some changes. I removed the...

use AutoLoader;
*AUTOLOAD = \&AutoLoader::AUTOLOAD;
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But I never removed the...

__END__
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Thanks again. I really appreciate the help. Is there some way I can give you guys "credit" for helping me? I see the "++" radio buttons. Is that what I should use? I don't post to perlmonks very often, so that's why I'm asking.

Upvoting (++) is a very appropriate way to show appreciation to all who offer useful advice.

---

Give a man a fish:  <%-(-(-(-<

Well, one glaring problem I see is that you have your sub definition after __END__ which I'm sure won't work. Try removing __END__, or at least put the code above it.

From perldoc perldata: "The two control characters ^D and ^Z, and the tokens __END__ and __DATA__ may be used to indicate the logical end of the script before the actual end of file. Any following text is ignored.".

-stevieb

Good point.

I'm using vim and it was trying to help me exactly as you stated (code appearing commented out), but my ignorance overlooked it.

Lose the end as suggested. See a tutorial by our own: here.

UPDATE fixed URL

I suspect you are using __END__where what you really meant was exit;.

1. First perlhas to read your script file and produce the under-the-covers code it will execute; this is sometimes called "compilation" and sometimes "interpretation" (the latter is more technically correct);
2. Then perlhas to execute the code it created during the interpretation phase.

So these two keywords have different functions:

• exit;tells Perl to stop running when it gets here during execution;
• __END__tells Perl to stop reading the source code during interpretation.

Thus, your __END__is causing perlto stop reading the source code before it gets to the subroutine; the subroutine is therefore never compiled. During execution, it does not exist, hence the error.

So, if I'm guessing right about your intentions, the fix is fairly simple, as noted by everyone else on this thread:

package My::Util;

use strict;
use warnings;
use Exporter;
our @ISA = qw(Exporter);
our @EXPORT = qw( get_file_name );

exit;
sub get_file_name {
    ...
}

1;

__END__
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this is sometimes called ... "interpretation" (... more technically correct) ... the interpretation phase

I don't recall the Perl documentation or the Camel ever referring to it as that... perhaps you meant "parsing"?

Although the existence of eval and BEGIN really blur the lines, if we're going to be picky about the compilation/runtime phases, then in fact the exit you suggest would be executed during the compilation phase of the main script, causing the rest of the main script after the use to never even be compiled!

Also, it sounds like you're saying that "everyone else on this thread" suggested exit?

I don't recall the Perl documentation or the Camel ever referring to it as that... perhaps you meant "parsing"?

You may translate it that way if you wish. My reference was not Perl-specific. The difference between a compiler and an interpreter is that the compiler converts source code to object code and then its job is done; the interpretter reads the source code and performs the tasks. The exact process used varies by implementation.

Although the existence of eval and BEGIN really blur the lines

An interesting observation.

Also, it sounds like you're saying that "everyone else on this thread" suggested exit?

I can see where one might draw that inference, but only if they choose to ignore the preponderence of evidence that up to that point in time everyone had, in fact, discussed __END__, not exit. Most reasonable people would not likely jump to the conclusion that exitwas the reference being made.

Clarification and precision is useful in our profression, to be sure; though the latter is less necessary in general conversation, it pays to be careful. Thank you for the notes.

use Exporter;
our @ISA = qw(Exporter);
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Just a minor note: Unless your code has to work with perl older than v5.8.3 (from 2004), you don't have to inherit from Exporter to export subroutines. It is sufficient to import Exporter's import method into your module:

use Exporter qw( import ); 
# ... and DON'T set @ISA!
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This way, Exporter's other methods, including the internal ones, don't appear as inherited methods of your module.

See also Re: Advice on style, Re^2: Advice on style.

Alexander