It's a bit of a hack, as it has to monkeypatch DB::DB with a version that has a Module::Pluggable command loader. A very small command module that just system()s the shell command you want may do it.

Nice really nice! 8)

But actually I'm using the debugger just as a REPL (without the P) and never for debugging, don't you think that my small alias solution is just appropriate? I'm not sure if I'm going to system the script or better avoid forking by useing it as a module.

Anyway if your a debugger expert, do you know how I can configure that the returnvalue of each eval ist printed with x, such that I get a full REPL out of it?

(see also using perldebugger as REPL?)

Cheers Rolf

Hm. Might be able to do it by altering sub eval() ... yes, quite easily!

Setting $DB::onetimeDump to 'dump' and calling DB::eval will do exactly what you want. Try this in your .perldb:

sub DB::new_eval { local $DB::onetimeDump = 'dump'; &DB::old_eval(@_);
+ }
*DB::old_eval = \&DB::eval;
*DB::eval = \&DB::new_eval;
[download]

It's perldb.ini if you're on Windows. You get output like this:

[tearought-lm|(none)]04:54 PM $ perl -de0

Loading DB routines from perl5db.pl version 1.31
Editor support available.

Enter h or `h h' for help, or `man perldebug' for more help.

main::(-e:1):   0
  DB<1> [1..10]
0  ARRAY(0x800cc0)
   0  1
   1  2
   2  3
   3  4
   4  5
   5  6
   6  7
   7  8
   8  9
   9  10

  DB<2>
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This is just copying the old eval to a new name, creating a new sub that calls it after setting up $onetimeDump property, and substituting the new sub for the old one. it's not perfect:

  DB<4> print "my father plays dominos\n"
my father plays dominos
0  1

  DB<5>
[download]

but should basically do what you're looking for. You'd need to patch up the dumping function a little more for perfection.