Working on Exporter::VA, I realized that I could export file handles too. The code will use a regex to check and strip the leading sigil, using a character class, then use the found char as a hash lookup.

So, introducing a one-character sigil for file handles, I could trivially support that with no extra overhead.

E.g. use ModuleName v2.3.1 qw/foo $x %hash ^LOG/; if I decide to make ^ my pseudo-sigil. I already use a - for pragmas and a : for tags, and reserve + for user extension.

So, what character should I use? As long as it's not any of those or something that can be in an identifier name, anything will work.

Perhaps it can use some strange Unicode character that nobody would ever use for anything else? "\N{REFERENCE MARK}LOG" doesn't look half bad...

—John

update (broquaint): changed title

In reply to Pseudo-sigils and Exporting file handles (was: ...beause I can) by John M. Dlugosz

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