Hi
I have a strange problem with my OOPerl module and the AUTLOAD method. Let me explain.... I have a big hash that contains attributes...

my %_attribute_properties = (
        
 _probeset_id        => ['????',   'read.required'],  
...
_affy_align         => [ ['????'] ,    'read.write.noinit'   ]
_exons_map          => [ { }       ,   'read.write.noinit'   ]
...

);
[download]

Note that this attributes contains values of different type.
Now I have an AUTOLOAD method to get and set the attributes values. Concept of AUTOLOAD is :

• First Time that i call for example my %hash = $probeset -> get_exons_map AUTOLOAD INSTALL that name into the symbol table.
• Next time i call the same attributes/argument Perl code will be more fast

Proble is that the first time that i call:
my %hash = $probeset -> get_exons_map I recieve an error (scalar found where list expected).
Second time no problem, I recieve thet correct type (hash)
Seems that the AUTOLOAD can't access valute type (but only the scalar pointer) at the first time! How can resolve it?

# AUTOLOAD Accesors
    if ($operation eq 'get') {
        # can i read the attribute?
        unless ($self -> _permissions ($attribute, 'read')) {
            die ("You don't have read permission for $attribute");
        }
        
        #
        # Install accessor definition in the symbol table
        # How AUTOLOAD work: *{$VAR} give access to the symbol definit
+ion table so, 
        # the second time that the method get_name is called AUTOLOAD 
+isn't called cause
        # get_name is saved in the symbol table
        
        *{$AUTOLOAD} = sub {
            my ($self) = @_;
            unless ($self -> _permissions($attribute, 'read')) {
                die ("$attribute does not have read permission!");
            }
            # get the attribute value
            # TIE-HASH da inserire qui
            # The attribute could be a scalar or a reference to an arr
+ay or hash
            if (ref($self -> {$attribute}) eq 'ARRAY') {
                return @{$self->{$attribute}};
            } elsif (ref($self -> {$attribute}) eq 'HASH') {
                return %{$self->{$attribute}};
            } else {
                return $self -> {$attribute};
            }
        }; 
        
        
    }elsif ($operation eq 'set') {
        # Verify if you can set the attribute
        unless ($self -> _permissions($attribute, 'write')) {
            die ("$attribute does not have write permission!");
        }
        # set the attribute value
        $self -> {$attribute} = $newvalue;
        
        # Install this mutator in the symbol table
        *{$AUTOLOAD} = sub {
            my ($self, $newvalue) = @_;
            unless ($self -> _permissions($attribute, 'write')) {
                die ("$attribute does not have write permission!");
            }
            $self -> {$attribute} = $newvalue;
        };
    }
    # Turn strict refs on
    use strict  'refs';
    # Return the attribute value
    return $self -> {$attribute};
}

# }}}
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