NAME
    Exporter::Simple - Easier set-up of module exports

SYNOPSIS
      package MyExport;
      use Exporter::Simple;

      my @bar : Exportable(vars) = (2, 3, 5, 7);
      my $foo : Exported(vars)   = 42;
      my %baz : Exported         = (a => 65, b => 66);

      sub hello : Exported(greet,uk)   { "hello there" }
      sub askme : Exportable           { "what you will" }
      sub hi    : Exportable(greet,us) { "hi there" }

      # meanwhile, in a module far, far away
      use MyExport qw(:greet);
      print hello();
      $baz{c} = 67;

DESCRIPTION
    This module, when used by a package, allows that package to define
    exports in a more concise way than using `Exporter'. Instead of having
    to worry what goes in `@EXPORT', `@EXPORT_OK' and `%EXPORT_TAGS', you
    can use two attributes to define exporter behavior. This has two
    advantages: It frees you from the implementation details of `Exporter',
    and it keeps the export definitions where they belong, with the
    subroutines and variables.

    The attributes provided by this module are:

    `Exported'
        Indicates that the associated subroutine or lexical variable should
        be automatically exported. It will also go into the `:all' tag (per
        the rules of `%EXPORT_TAGS'), as well as any tags you specify as
        options of this attribute.

        For example, the following declaration

          sub hello : Exported(greet,uk)   { ... }

        will cause `hello()' to be exported, but also be available in the
        tags `:all', `:greet' and `:uk'.

    `Exportable'
        Is like `Exported', except that the associated subroutine or lexical
        variable won't be automatically exported. It will still go to the
        `:all' tag in any case and all other tags specified as attribute
        options.

Exporting Lexical Variables
    `Exporter::Simple' allows you to export lexical variables; something
    `Exporter' can't do. What happens is that the lexical is aliased to a
    global of the same name, which is then exported. So when you manipulate
    that global, you're really manipulating the lexical.

    The syntax for exporting lexical variables is the same as for
    subroutines as lexicals can take attributes just as subroutines do.

    `Exporter::Simple' expects some cooperation from you when exporting
    lexicals. For reasons best explained by reading the (commented) source,
    you need to make sure to have

      1;

    as the last line of code in your module. This is the true value you have
    to return from the module anyway.

Exporting Global Variables
    Global variables can't take attributes as of Perl 5.6.0, so it's
    necessary to export globals manually. This needs to happen during
    `BEGIN()' though, so you need to write code like this:

      BEGIN {
        export([ qw/EXPORTED_CONST @array $friend/ ], 'globals');
        exportable('EXPORTABLE_CONST', 'globals');
      }

    Urgh.

    However, globals will be able to take attributes in Perl 5.8.0, and this
    module will then be updated to reflect those capabilities.

    The two subroutines used to export globals are:

    `export($symbols, $tags)'
        As shown in the example above, both arguments can be either strings
        (to indicate one symbol or tag) or array references to indicate
        multiple symbols or tags.

        The semantics are the same as for the `Export' attribute above.

    `exportable($symbols, $tags)'
        As `export()', but does not automatically export the symbols. The
        semantics are the same as for the `Exportable' attribute above.

    These two subroutines are automatically exported by `Exporter::Simple'.
    The reason for this brute-force export is that these subroutines need to
    be used during BEGIN, but `Exporter::Simple' doesn't have a chance to
    use `Exporter' to export those two subroutines yet. Sigh.

TODO
    reflection
        Retrieve information about exports

    test using two exporting modules
        To see whether `Exporter::Simple' is ok with more than one module
        using it. (I don't know why it shouldn't be, but that's what testing
        is for).

BUGS
    If you find any bugs or oddities, please do inform the author.

AUTHOR
    Marcel Grunauer, <marcel@codewerk.com>

CONTRIBUTORS
    Damian Conway <damian@conway.org>

COPYRIGHT
    Copyright 2001 Marcel Grunauer. All rights reserved.

    This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
    under the same terms as Perl itself.

SEE ALSO
    perl(1), Attribute::Handlers(3pm), Exporter(3pm).