Hi, After upgrading AIX on a host, my perl code no longer works. The upgrade included a perl update, from v5.10.1 to v5.20.1. If I roll back perl, the code works. But, I’d like to fix the code for new version. It looks like it’s all function prototyping issues. I am a perl newbie. I know I can change the functions, but I’m hoping I can add a line to the top to have the code use the old methods, like a use statement. (I’m afraid I’ll miss a function buried deep in the code on a branch that doesn’t get run often) Is there a way to have the code use the old method? Or do I need to find all the function declarations and correct them? If so, do I simply remove the ‘()’ or do I use function prototyping?

This code is distributed to many different platforms. So, whatever changes I make will need to run on the old and new version of perl. (So, adding “use V5.20;” is probably not an option, since they are still at older versions.)

The Error:

# /usr/dtha/bin/dtha_stack_info -L
Illegal declaration of subroutine dtha_stack::get_stack_list at /usr/dtha/bin/../lib/dtha_stack.pm line 244.
Compilation failed in require at /usr/dtha/bin/../lib/Dtha.pm line 80.
BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at /usr/dtha/bin/../lib/Dtha.pm line 80.
Compilation failed in require at /usr/dtha/bin/dtha_stack_info line 68.
BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at /usr/dtha/bin/dtha_stack_info line 68.

dtha_stack.pm code (starting at line 244): 

sub get_stack_list()
{
        my $self        = shift;
        my $group       = shift || '.*';        # group = PROD | TEST

        # read stacks.xml and build $DESCRIPTIONS hash
        parse_stacks();

        my @stacks;
        foreach my $i (sort (keys %DESCRIPTIONS)) {
                push @stacks, $i if ( $DESCRIPTIONS{$i}{group} eq $gro
+up  );
                push @stacks, $i if ( $group eq ".*" );
        }

        return @stacks;

} # endsub get_stack_list

[download]

I tried to change the code to how I thought it should be coded, but it complains too. 

sub get_stack_list( $self, $group = '.*' )
{
        #my $self       = shift;
        #my $group      = shift || '.*';        # group = PROD | TEST

        # read stacks.xml and build $DESCRIPTIONS hash
        parse_stacks();

        my @stacks;
        foreach my $i (sort (keys %DESCRIPTIONS)) {
                push @stacks, $i if ( $DESCRIPTIONS{$i}{group} eq $gro
+up  );
                push @stacks, $i if ( $group eq ".*" );
        }

        return @stacks;

} # endsub get_stack_list

[download]

The above code gives:

# /usr/dtha/bin/dtha_stack_info -L
Illegal character in prototype for dtha_stack::get_stack_list : $self, $group = '.*'  at /usr/dtha/bin/../lib/dtha_stack.pm line 244.
Illegal declaration of subroutine dtha_stack::get_stack_list at /usr/dtha/bin/../lib/dtha_stack.pm line 244.
Compilation failed in require at /usr/dtha/bin/../lib/Dtha.pm line 80.
BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at /usr/dtha/bin/../lib/Dtha.pm line 80.
Compilation failed in require at /usr/dtha/bin/dtha_stack_info line 68.
BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at /usr/dtha/bin/dtha_stack_info line 68.

So, I simplified the code. Using the code below, it does not error on this function anymore. (fails on the next function defined the same way) Not sure the best method for modification… 

sub get_stack_list {
        my $self        = shift;
        my $group       = shift || '.*';        # group = PROD | TEST

        # read stacks.xml and build $DESCRIPTIONS hash
        parse_stacks();

        my @stacks;
        foreach my $i (sort (keys %DESCRIPTIONS)) {
                push @stacks, $i if ( $DESCRIPTIONS{$i}{group} eq $gro
+up  );
                push @stacks, $i if ( $group eq ".*" );
        }

        return @stacks;

} # endsub get_stack_list

[download]

In reply to function prototyping & perl 5.8.20 by topherv

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