Ok, after some digging I believe I understand the issue. In the Client.pm file as it creates functions there is a section of code that adjusts the call parameters. Specifically, it checks if the first function is blessed into 'SVN::Client'. If it is, the arguments are handled in one manner. If it is not, they are handled a different way. 

# import methods into our name space and wrap them in a closure
# to support method calling style $ctx->log()
foreach my $function (@_all_fns)
{
    no strict 'refs';
    my $real_function = \&{"SVN::_Client::svn_client_$function"};
    *{"SVN::Client::$function"} = sub
    {
        my ($self, $ctx);
        my @args;

        # Don't shift the first param if it isn't a SVN::Client
        # object.  This lets the old style interface still work.
        # And is useful for functions like url_from_path which
        # don't take a ctx param, but might be called in method
        # invocation style or as a normal function.
        for (my $index = $[; $index <= $#_; $index++)
        {
            if (ref($_[$index]) eq 'SVN::Client')
            {
                ($self) = splice(@_,$index,1);
                $ctx = $self->{'ctx'};
                last;
            } elsif (ref($_[$index]) eq '_p_svn_client_ctx_t') {
                $self = undef;
                ($ctx) = splice(@_,$index,1);
                last;
            }
        }

[download]

This seems to mean I can't directly subclass SVN::Client as at least some of the functions break. However, I have found a couple obscure mentions of subclassing SVN::Client in my research...so I find that strange.

Guess I look for another way unless I want to modify Client.pm...which I don't :)

In reply to Re: SVN::Client subclassing issue by tj_thompson
in thread SVN::Client subclassing issue by tj_thompson

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