#!/your/perl/here

# demo self-modifying function table

use strict;
use warnings;

sub gen_sub
{ 
    my ($match, $target) = @_;
    my $count = 0;
    return sub
    {
        my ($item, $function, $num) = @_;
        print "<$match> eq <$item>?\n";
        if ($item eq $match)
        {
            $count++;
            print "found $match, count=$count, target=$target\n";
            if ($count >= $target)
            {
                delete( $function->{$num} );
                print "no more $match\n";
            }
            return(1,$function);
        }
        return(0,$function);
    } # end sub
} # gen_sub

# construct function table
my $function = {};
my $limit = 1;
my $order = 0;
foreach my $sub ('foo', 'bar', 'baz')
{
    $function->{$order++} = { 'NAME' => $sub,
                              'CODE' => gen_sub($sub,$limit++)
                            };
}

my $hit;
PASS:
while (keys %{$function})
{
    while (<DATA>)
    {
        chomp;
        foreach my $num (sort {$a<=>$b} keys %{$function})
        {
            ($hit,$function) = $function->{$num}{CODE}($_,$function,$n
+um);
            next PASS if $hit;
        }
    }
}

exit;

__DATA__
junk
foo
bar
baz
foo
bar
baz
foo
bar
baz
more junk

__OUTPUT__
<foo> eq <junk>?
<bar> eq <junk>?
<baz> eq <junk>?
<foo> eq <foo>?
found foo, count=1, target=1
no more foo
<bar> eq <bar>?
found bar, count=1, target=2
<bar> eq <baz>?
<baz> eq <baz>?
found baz, count=1, target=3
<bar> eq <foo>?
<baz> eq <foo>?
<bar> eq <bar>?
found bar, count=2, target=2
no more bar
<baz> eq <baz>?
found baz, count=2, target=3
<baz> eq <foo>?
<baz> eq <bar>?
<baz> eq <baz>?
found baz, count=3, target=3
no more baz
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