I am rolling my own config module and considering two approaches. The idea behind the module is simply to provide one central place in which to stick all the fixed values that a typical website relies on (database name and password, file paths etc).

Method 1: the variable approach: 

####### In Config module ##########

package My::Config;

$My::Config::DB_NAME = 'my_database';
$My::Config::DB_PASS = 'secret';

1;

####### In another module #########

use My::Config;

my $db_name = $My::Config::DB_NAME;

[download]

Method 2: The subs approach: 

####### In Config module ##########

package My::Config;

sub DB_NAME { 'my_database' }
sub DB_PASS { 'secret' }
  
1;

####### In another module #########

use My::Config;

my $db_name = My::Config::DB_NAME;

[download]

Both work very nicely. The variable approach is almost as fast as doing my $db_name = 'my_database'; and three times faster than the subs approach.

I want to go with the sub approach because I can then be sure that the values will not change during the lifetime of the script (under mod_perl this could be a while).

QUESTIONS:

  1. Would it be possible to change the values of the returns from the subs if the subs approach is used.
  2. Are there any other factors that should be considered when making the choice.

--tidiness is the memory loss of environmental mnemonics

In reply to Variables versus Subroutines for a Configuration Module. by EvdB

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