Howto return a reference of an array of custom class?

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

I am trying to write a function that returns an array reference of 'mat::Network' objects. But the returned array doesnt seem to be what im expecting. The error seems to be thinking im trying to call something on 'Main' not 'mat::Network'

Example:

my $aa=x();
foreach(@$aa){
        $_.p();
}

sub x {
        my @ret;
        my $a=mat::Network->new({name=>'test'});
        my $b=mat::Network->new({name=>'test2'});
        push(@ret,$a);
        push(@ret,$b);
        return(\@ret);
}
[download]

will return:

Undefined subroutine &main::p

What am i doing wrong? I feel like I have to cast '$_' as 'mat::Network'?

Thanks in advance.

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Re: Howto return a reference of an array of custom class? by Fletch (Bishop) on Sep 05, 2007 at 17:04 UTC
For one thing you're attempting to use the concatenation operator (`$_.p()` parses as "concatenate the string in `$_` with the return value from calling the subroutine `p` with no arguments") to invoke a method rather than the correct syntax, `$_->p()`.	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re: Howto return a reference of an array of custom class? by jhourcle (Prior) on Sep 05, 2007 at 17:05 UTC
`$_.p();` '.' is the concatination operator in the current version of perl. You likely wanted `$_->p();`	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re: Howto return a reference of an array of custom class? by Corion (Patriarch) on Sep 05, 2007 at 17:04 UTC
The line `$_.p()` [download] likely isn't doing what you think it does. See perlop for the Perl operators. The dot (`.`) is the string concatenation operator. So you're concatenating your object with the result of the function `p`, which is not defined, hence the error message `undefined subroutine &main::p`. Maybe you wanted the arrow operator `->` to call a method?	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re: Howto return a reference of an array of custom class? by andyford (Curate) on Sep 05, 2007 at 17:08 UTC
I don't think your problem is the mat::Network routines, your program can't find the "p" subroutine. Where is it? Do you need to include some other module or something that contains the definition of p()? non-Perl: Andy Ford	[reply]
Re: Howto return a reference of an array of custom class? by true_atlantis (Acolyte) on Sep 05, 2007 at 17:40 UTC
jess... im an idiot... my problem is that i have been switching between java and perl, and classes are way different in each. thanks everyone	[reply]