Re: utf8::encode causes can't find SWASHNEW error

>>>>> On Thu, 07 Sep 2006 15:20:34 -0400, Dan Ragle <[email protected]> said:

  > Hi!
  > I'm having trouble getting my head around this issue and
  > I'm hoping someone can spare a few moments to explain what's
  > going on.

  > On a Perl 5.6.1 server, the following reduction:

  > -------------------

  > use strict;

  > my $test = pack "U0A*", "Dan";
  > print uc($test), "\n";

  > sub do_nothing {
  >   utf8::encode('foobar');
  > }

  > --------------------

  > produces a "Can't locate object method "SWASHNEW" via package
  > "utf8" (perhaps you forgot to load "utf8"?) at line 4." error.
  > The error is triggered at the uc call.

  > What I'm not understanding is how just the existence of the
  > utf8::encode() call triggers the error, even though it is not
  > actually called by the code. I.E., if you remove the "do_nothing"
  > sub, the uppercase string is printed and no error is generated.
  > How would I best write the above reduction for backward
  > compatibility with Perl 5.6.1?

By adding 'use utf8' or 'no utf8'.

  > In my real world script that
  > provoked the above reduction, the actual utf8::encode() call
  > is in a use'd module.

  > Any light that could be shed on this, either by link referrals
  > or direct explanation, would be greatly appreciated!!

I cannot explain, so I'm tempted to call it a bug.

Apparently some code looks up the symbol table and if utf8:: is there,
then it does something that usually is only available when utf8 is
loaded. So by actually making sure utf8 is loaded, you give that code
what it needs.

-- 
andreas