In print_story I would like to have something simple like, but I doubt it will be that simple.

Sure, it can be that simple, though I might feel safer trying to avoid arbitrary code execution with Safe like 

#!/usr/bin/perl   --
use strict; use warnings;
use Safe;

my $str = <<'__STR__';
&print_definitions( file => "some_file_a.txt", headings => ["term","de
+finition"],)
&print_definitions( file => "some_file_b.txt", headings => ["term","de
+finition 1","definition 2"],)
&f()
&f ( 1 )
&eff( 'a', "A\tB", 3  )
__STR__

my $namespace = __PACKAGE__;
my %dispatch = (
    eff => \&f,
    _default => sub {},
);
open my($in), '<', \$str;
while( my $line = <$in> ){
    if( my( $sub, $args ) = $line =~ /^\&([^\(\s]+)\s*(.*)/) {
        print "## $sub  $args \n";
        my $subref = $namespace->can( $sub );
        $subref ||= $dispatch{$sub} || $dispatch{_default};
        if( $subref ){
            $subref->(
                length $args
                ? Safe->new->reval( $args )
                : ()
            );
        }
    }
}
close $in;
sub print_definitions { print "print_definitions says [ @_ ]\n\n"; }
sub f { print "f says [ @_ ]\n\n"; }
__END__

## print_definitions  ( file => "some_file_a.txt", headings => ["term"
+,"definition"],)
print_definitions says [ file some_file_a.txt headings ARRAY(0xb0b93c)
+ ]

## print_definitions  ( file => "some_file_b.txt", headings => ["term"
+,"definition 1","definition 2"],)
print_definitions says [ file some_file_b.txt headings ARRAY(0xb0b5ec)
+ ]

## f  ()
f says [  ]

## f  ( 1 )
f says [ 1 ]

## eff  ( 'a', "A\tB", 3  )
f says [ a A    B 3 ]

[download]

Does that clear things up for you?

In reply to Re^3: Evaluating subroutines from within data by Anonymous Monk
in thread Evaluating subroutines from within data by Lady_Aleena

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