This definitely seems like a worthwhile WTDI. However, I think I'd rather see the following syntax instead of your define_attributes: 

package Bar;
use BaseClass {
   name => '$',
   values => '@',
   anarrayref => '*@',
};

[download]

Copy from base the ability to automatically add BaseClass.pm to @Bar::ISA. Copy from Class::Struct the syntax of specifying elements. (Although, personally I'd prefer a slash instead of an asterisk to represent refs and the ability to use '[ ]' and '{}' -- it's more Perlish that way.)

This way, you've combined the BaseClass, @ISA, and define_attributes statements into one handy statement that's terse but clear.

Then, to handle inheritance, you could use something like this: 

use BaseClass qw(Foo Fub) {
   name => '$',
};

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And now the object would have the attributes from Foo and Fub, as well as the ones specified in the anonymous hash.

-- Frag.

In reply to Re: Idea on a Base class API by frag
in thread Idea on a Base class API by dragonchild

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