Actually, I think your opinions are well-reasoned. AUTOLOAD is kinda like a number of other Perl features - it's very cool, but serves to provide abilities that comes up 1% of the time. In that 1%, the feature is absolutely critical. However, using the feature outside of that 1% is actually detrimental.

Another feature I think belongs in this list (and is related to AUTOLOAD) is symbol-table manipulation. It's very cool, but should be avoided in most situations. (Yes, I know that a lot of stuff is done via symbol-table manipulation, but that's using the API.) tie is another feature that, imho, belongs in this category.

Basically, the question is really "Should I use the published API or muck about in the internals?" 99% of the time, the API is good enough. While having the ability to do what needs done in the other 1%, most programmers aren't disciplined enough to not use it when it's not appropriate.

I'm not arguing for a Java- or VB-ification of Perl. I'm arguing for some self-discipline among Perlers.

Being right, does not endow the right to be rude; politeness costs nothing.
Being unknowing, is not the same as being stupid.
Expressing a contrary opinion, whether to the individual or the group, is more often a sign of deeper thought than of cantankerous belligerence.
Do not mistake your goals as the only goals; your opinion as the only opinion; your confidence as correctness. Saying you know better is not the same as explaining you know better.

In reply to Re^2: AUTOLOAD - the good, the bad, and the ugly by dragonchild
in thread AUTOLOAD - the good, the bad, and the ugly by shemp

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