Support for calling SVs, eval, array context, void context, get_sv.

[perl4caml.git] / perl.mli

diff --git a/perl.mli b/perl.mli
index b589323..8c6db5a 100644 (file)
--- a/perl.mli
+++ b/perl.mli
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   *
   * Copyright (C) 2003 Merjis Ltd.
   *
-  * $Id: perl.mli,v 1.1 2003-10-11 18:25:52 rich Exp $
+  * $Id: perl.mli,v 1.2 2003-10-12 10:52:00 rich Exp $
   *)
 
 type t
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ type t
 type sv
 (** Perl scalar value. *)
 
-exception PerlFailure of string
+exception Perl_failure of string
 (** [die] in Perl code is translated automatically into this exception. *)
 
 external create : ?args:string array -> unit -> t
@@ -57,28 +57,45 @@ external string_of_sv : sv -> string = "perl4caml_string_of_sv"
 external sv_of_string : string -> sv = "perl4caml_sv_of_string"
 (** Convert a [string] into a Perl [SV]. *)
 
-external call_scalar : string -> sv list -> sv
-  = "perl4caml_call_scalar"
-(** Call a named Perl function in a scalar context. Returns the Perl [SV]
-  * containing the result value. (See {!int_of_sv} etc.).
+external get_sv : ?create:bool -> string -> sv = "perl4caml_get_sv"
+(** Return a scalar value by name. For example, if you have a symbol
+  * called [$a] in Perl, then [get_sv "a"] will return its value.
   *
-  * If the Perl code calls [die] then this will throw [PerlFailure].
+  * If the symbol does not exist, this throws [Not_found].
+  *
+  * If the optional [?create] argument is set to true and the symbol does
+  * not exist, then Perl will create the symbol (with value [undef]) and
+  * this function will return the [SV] for [undef].
   *)
 
-(*
-external call_array : string -> sv list -> sv list
+external call : ?sv:sv -> ?fn:string -> sv list -> sv
+  = "perl4caml_call"
+(** Call a Perl function in a scalar context, either by name (using the [?fn]
+  * parameter) or by calling a string/CODEREF (using the [?sv] parameter).
+  *
+  * Returns the Perl [SV] containing the result value. (See {!int_of_sv} etc.).
+  *
+  * If the Perl code calls [die] then this will throw [Perl_failure].
+  *)
+
+external call_array : ?sv:sv -> ?fn:string -> sv list -> sv list
   = "perl4caml_call_array"
-(** Call a named Perl function in an array context. Returns the array as
-  * a list of Perl [SV]s.
+(** Call a Perl function in an array context, either by name (using the [?fn]
+  * parameter) or by calling a string/CODEREF (using the [?sv] parameter).
+  *
+  * Returns the list of results.
   *
-  * If the Perl code calls [die] then this will throw [PerlFailure].
+  * If the Perl code calls [die] then this will throw [Perl_failure].
   *)
 
-external call : string -> sv list -> unit
-  = "perl4caml_call"
-(** Call a named Perl function in a void context, discarding any results.
+external call_void : ?sv:sv -> ?fn:string -> sv list -> unit
+  = "perl4caml_call_void"
+(** Call a Perl function in a void context, either by name (using the [?fn]
+  * parameter) or by calling a string/CODEREF (using the [?sv] parameter).
+  *
+  * Any results are discarded.
   *
-  * If the Perl code calls [die] then this will throw [PerlFailure].
+  * If the Perl code calls [die] then this will throw [Perl_failure].
   *)
 
 external eval : string -> sv
@@ -86,4 +103,3 @@ external eval : string -> sv
 (** This is exactly like the Perl [eval] command. It evaluates a piece of
   * Perl code (in scalar context) and returns the result (a Perl [SV]).
   *)
-*)