Hello gurus,

I am new to the site! It looks like a great source of information!

I am moving our linear Perl test environment to a more OO structured environment and am having a few problems. First off, there is a Perl/Tk window that "calls" our individual tests (testname.pex) in which each of these tests has a main() subroutine.

I am trying to create objects of the individual tests, however I am trying to share several subroutines in both my Object Methods and other locations external to the object.

Example code, outside the object:

use UARTchan;
require 'TdWrapper.pl';
 
Test_Run( 'Full UART Bit Test - $Change: 2944 $' );

sub main
{
   my( $why );
    # establish the testing context and assert needed connections

    unless( initialize( ) )
    {
        $why = IpdrTest_LastFailure( );
        IpdrTest_EndLog( ); # assumes the logging got started
        return 'Failed to initialize: ' . $why;
    }

    print "UART Full Test \n";
    IpdrTest_Identify( 'UART Full Test ' );
    if( IpdrTest_Failure( ) )
    {
        $why = IpdrTest_LastFailure( );
        IpdrTest_EndLog( );
        return 'Failed to identify: ' . $why;
    }
    
    # conduct the many test steps

    print "Test begun\n" ;
    IpdrTest_PrintLog( "Test begin\n\n" );

    fillupUART();

    print "Test done\n";

    # conclusion of test.  really only a wrapup of logging.

    IpdrTest_EndLog( );

    if( IpdrTest_Failure( ) )
    {
        return IpdrTest_LastFailure( );
    }
    return 'Ok';
}
...
...
...
sub fillupUART{
   # Generate global data variable
   our( $data );
   # Generate the UART Channel Object
   our( $testChan ) = new UARTchan();

   # Prompt User for the STE Uart channel, loop until 'Exit' selected
TOPLOOP:
   while(1){
      printMenu();               # Print the menu
   }

   $testChan->DESTROY;
   UARTchan->END;                # Destroy ALL Objects of the UARTchan
+ class
}
...
...
...
[download]

The subroutines Test_Run(), IpdrTest_Failure(), and IpdrTest_LastFailure() (to name a few) are contained IN TdWrapper.pl.

Now to see some of the class/object code:

package UARTchan;
require 'TdWrapper.pl';

###########################################
####           Class Data              ####
###########################################
my $UARTobjs = 0;
my $stepNumber = 0;           # Used during testing, all objects linke
+d
my $subStepNum = 0;

###########################################
####        Object Constructor         ####
###########################################
sub new {
   my $proto = shift;
   my $class = ref($proto) || $proto;
   my $this = {};
   # Data Members
   $this->{IPDRUART} = undef;
   $this->{IPDRDATA} = undef;          # The IPDR UART Data buffer, re
+ad and written to
   $this->{IPDRCONF} = undef;          # Data member is used in both t
+he config and block commands
   $this->{STEUART}  = undef;
   $this->{STEBAUD}  = undef;
   $this->{STEDATA}  = undef;          # The STE UART Data buffer, rea
+d and written to
   $this->{COMPBIT}  = undef;          # Tells the calculation method 
+which way to compare the data members
   # Class Data
   $this->{"_UARTobjs"} = \$UARTobjs;  # Storing a reference to this g
+lobal in "_UARTobjs"

   bless($this, $class);
   
   ++ ${ $this->{ "_UARTobjs" } };     # Increment the reference

   printf( "Info> There are currently $UARTobjs UART Objects.\n" );
   return($this);

}
...
...
...
sub steuartopen {
   my $this = shift;
   
   # Increase global count
   ++$stepNumber;
   $subStepNum = 0;        # Reset Substep count to 0
   
   IpdrTest_StepBegin( "$stepNumber.$subStepNum" );

   printf( "Info> Configuring the IP521 UART.\n" );
   IpdrTest_PrintLog( "Info> Configuring the IP521 UART.\n" );
   
   # Set the STE IP521 UART as Open
   STE_Config_UART( $this->{STEUART}, 'Open' );
   if( IpdrTest_Failure( ) ) {
      IpdrTest_Failed( IpdrTest_LastFailure( ) );
      printf( "Warning> $stepNumber.$subStepNum failed : Unable to 'Op
+en' device.\n" );
      IpdrTest_PrintLog( "Warning> $stepNumber.$subStepNum failed : Un
+able to 'Open' device.\n" );
      IpdrTest_StepFailed();
      die "Step $stepNumber.$subStepNum failed";
   }

   # Set the STE IP521 UART BAUD rate
   STE_Config_UART( $this->{STEUART}, $this->{STEBAUD} );
   if( IpdrTest_Failure( ) ) {
      IpdrTest_Failed( IpdrTest_LastFailure( ) );
      printf( "Warning> $stepNumber.$subStepNum failed : Unable to set
+ device baud rate.\n" );
      IpdrTest_PrintLog( "Warning> $stepNumber.$subStepNum failed : Un
+able to set device baud rate.\n" );
      IpdrTest_StepFailed();
      IpdrTest_StepEnd();
      die "Step $stepNumber.$subStepNum failed"; 
   }

   printf( "Step $stepNumber.$subStepNum passed\n" );
   IpdrTest_PrintLog( "Step $stepNumber.$subStepNum passed\n" );
   IpdrTest_StepPassed();

   IpdrTest_StepEnd();
}
[download]

Note that the object ALSO needs to reference several of the external subroutines in TdWrapper.pl. However, depending on WHERE I place the require 'TdWrapper.pl';line in my class/object file (.pm), the Perl Interpreter (as far as I can tell) will "lock" those subroutines into different namespace, thus making those subroutines either accessible inside the object OR everywhere else, but not both.

Is there a workaround where I can use these subroutines in BOTH the object/class and everywhere else?

Thanks!