NAME
    Class::Handle - Supply object methods to classes

SYNOPSIS
      # Create a class handle
      use Class::Handle;
      my $class = Class::Handle->new( 'Foo::Class' );
      my $name = $class->name;
  
      # UNIVERSAL type methods
      $class->VERSION();
      $class->isa( 'Foo:Bar' );
      $class->can( 'blah' );
  
      # Class::Inspector type methods
      $class->installed();
      $class->loaded();
      $class->filename();
      $class->resolved_filename();
      $class->functions();
      $class->function_refs();
      $class->function_exists( 'function' );
      $class->methods( 'public', 'full' );
  
      # Class::ISA type methods
      $class->super_path();
      $class->self_and_super_path();
      $class->full_path();
  
      # Loading and unloading
      $class->load();

DESCRIPTION
    Class related functionality in Perl is broken up into a variety of
    different modules. Class::Handle attempts to provide a convenient object
    wrapper around the various different types of functions that can be
    performed on a class.

    Please note that this is an initial non-production quality release, and
    should be used as such. Functionality and API are subject to change
    without notice.

    Currently, Class::Handle provies what is effectively a combined API from
    "UNIVERSAL", "Class::ISA" and "Class::Inspector" for obtaining
    information about a Class, and some additional task methods, such as
    "load" to common tasks relating to classes.

UNIVERSAL API
    To ensure we maintain compliance with other classes that rely on methods
    provided by "UNIVERSAL", Class::Handle acts in the normal way when
    something like "Class::Handle-"VERSION> is called. That is, it returns
    the version of Class::Handle itself. When "UNIVERSAL" methods are called
    on an instantiation the method is changed to act on the class we have a
    handle to. For example, the two following statements are equivalent.

      # Getting the version directly
      print Foo::Bar->VERSION();
  
      # Getting the version via Class::Handle
      my $class = Class::Handle->new( 'Foo::Bar' );
      print $class->VERSION();

    This also applies to the "isa" and "can" methods.

METHODS
  new( $class )
    The "new" constructor will create a new handle to a class or unknown
    existance or status. That is, it won't check that the class actually
    exists at this time. It WILL however check to make sure that your class
    name is legal.

      Returns a new Class::Handle object on success
      Returns undef if the class name is illegal
    =head2 name()

    The c<name> method returns the name of the class as original specified
    in the constructor.

  VERSION()
    Find the version for the class. Does not check that the class is loaded
    ( at this time ). Returns the version on success. Returns undef if the
    class does not defined a $VERSION, or the class is not loaded.

  isa( $class )
    Checks to see if the class is a subclass of another class. Does not
    check that the class is loaded ( at this time ). Returns true/false as
    for "UNIVERSAL::isa"

  can( $method )
    Checks to see if a particular method is defined for the class. Returns a
    "CODE" ref to the function is the method is available. Returns false if
    the class does not have that method available.

  installed()
    Checks to see if a particular class is installed on the machine, or at
    least that the class is available to perl. In this case, "class" really
    means "module". This methods cannot detect a class that is not a module.
    ( Has it's own file ). Returns true if the class is installed and
    available. Returns false otherwise.

  loaded()
    Checks to see if a class is loaded. In this case, "class" does NOT mean
    "module". The "loaded" method will return true for classes that do not
    have their own file.

    For example, if a module "Foo" contains the classes "Foo", "Foo::Bar"
    and "Foo::Buffy", the "loaded" method will return true for all of the
    classes.

    Returns true if the class is loaded. Returns false otherwise.

  filename()
    Returns the base filename for a class. For example, for the class
    "Foo::Bar", "loaded" would return "Foo/Bar.pm". The "filename" method is
    platform neutral, it should always return the filename in the correct
    format for your platform.

  resolved_filename( @extra_paths )
    The "resolved_filename" will attempt to find the real file on your
    system that will be used when a class is loaded. If additional paths are
    provided as argument, they will be tried first, before the contents of
    the @INC array. If a file cannot be found to match the class, returns
    false.

  loaded_filename()
    If the class is loaded, returns the name of the file that it was
    originally loaded from. Returns false if the class is not loaded, or did
    not have it's own file.

  functions()
    Returns a list of the names of all the functions in the classes
    immediate namespace. Note that this is not the METHODS of the class,
    just the functions. Returns a reference to an array of the function
    names on success. Returns undef on error or if the class is not loaded.

  function_refs()
    Returns a list of references to all the functions in the classes
    immediate namespace. Returns a reference to an array of CODE refs of the
    functions on success. Returns undef on error or if the class is not
    loaded.

  function_exists( $function )
    Checks to see if the function exists in the class. Note that this is as
    a function, not as a method. To see if a method exists for a class, use
    the "can" method in UNIVERSAL, and hence to every other class. Returns 1
    if the function exists. Returns 0 if the function does not exist.
    Returns undef on error, or if the class is not loaded.

  methods( @options )
    Attempts to find the methods available to the class. This includes
    everything in the classes super path up to, but NOT including,
    UNIVERSAL. Returns a reference to an array of the names of all the
    available methods on success. Returns undef if the class is not loaded.

    Any provided options are passed through, and alter the response in the
    same way as for the options to "Class::Inspector-"methods()>, that is,
    'public', 'private', 'full' and 'expanded', and combinations thereof.

  super_path()
    The "super_path" method is a straight pass through to the
    "Class::ISA-"super_path> method. Returns an ordered list of class names,
    with no duplicates. The list does NOT include the class itself, or the
    UNIVERSAL class.

  self_and_super_path()
    As above, but includes ourself at the beginning of the path. Directly
    passes through to Class::ISA.

  full_super_path()
    The "full_super_path" method is an additional method not in
    "Class::ISA". It returns as for "super_path", except that it also
    contains BOTH the class itself, and "UNIVERSAL". This full list is more
    technically accurate, but less commonly used, and as such isn't
    available from Class::ISA itself.

BUGS
    No known bugs. Additional feature requests are being taken.

SUPPORT
    Contact the author

AUTHOR
            Adam Kennedy
            cpan@ali.as
            http://ali.as/

SEE ALSO
    "UNIVERSAL", "Class::ISA", and "Class::Inspector", which provide most of
    the functionality for this class.

COPYRIGHT
    Copyright (c) 2002 Adam Kennedy. All rights reserved. This program is
    free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same
    terms as Perl itself.

    The full text of the license can be found in the LICENSE file included
    with this module.