eXile has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

Hi, I have some Class::DBI modules that I want to provide an additional name for. To play nice and not clutter up the global namespace I've made Class::DBI classes with names like OrganizationName::ProjectName::Object , but I'd also like these objects (preferably in a configurable way) to be available under shorter names like for instance ProjectName::Object (to avoid typo's, overly long lines of code when using these classes, etc.). Initially I thought that would be as simple as: 
package OrganizationName::ProjectName::Object;
*ProjectName::Object = *OrganizationName

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but that doesn't work, at least not for my Class::DBI Object-modules: When I try to use an object by its shorter name, it's methods are not defined. Another try that failed is using inheritance, but somehow this doesn't work either: 
package OrganizationName::ProjectName::Object;
... package code here ...

package ProjectName::Object;
use base "OrganizationName::ProjectName::Object";

1;

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(complains about not being able to find object methods via the short package name). I have tried to find information on this, but I think I'm using the wrong search terms. Can anybody tell me if what I want is possible, and where to find information about it?

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Re: Aliasing a namespace/object
by Ovid (Cardinal) on Jan 28, 2005 at 17:53 UTC

    Try my aliased module. It only works for objects, but that's what you wanted, even though I wasn't entirely clear how you were setting things up.

    # implicit aliasing takes the last part of the package name
use aliased 'Really::Long::Class::Name';
my $name = Name->new;

# explicit aliasing allows a rename
use aliased 'Some::Long::Name::That::I::Hate' => 'Name';

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    You can also try Package::Alias, but that requires you use the package prior to aliasing it to another namespace.

    Cheers,
    Ovid

    New address of my CGI Course.

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Re: Aliasing a namespace/object
by stvn (Monsignor) on Jan 28, 2005 at 17:48 UTC

    Ovid recently released aliased for just this type of problem.

    -stvn
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Re: Aliasing a namespace/object
by dragonchild (Archbishop) on Jan 28, 2005 at 17:49 UTC
    I just added a similar feature to IOC this past month, along with configuration files that make it much easier to create them.

    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.

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Re: Alias for object namespace
by broquaint (Abbot) on Jan 29, 2005 at 01:34 UTC
    To achieve such aliasing in code simply qualify the package name with a trailing :: e.g 
    {
  package foo;

  sub meth {
    printf "I was declared in %s, but called with %s\n",
           __PACKAGE__, $_[0];
  }
}

*bar:: = *foo::;
bar->meth;

__output__
I was declared in foo, but called with bar

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    HTH

    _________
    broquaint

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Re: Alias for object namespace
by gaal (Parson) on Jan 29, 2005 at 14:01 UTC
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