NAME

Devel::Trace::Subs - Generate, track, store and print code flow and stack traces

Coverage Status

SYNOPSIS

use Devel::Trace::Subs qw(trace trace_dump install_trace remove_trace);

Add a trace() call to the top of all your subs

trace(); # or even better: $trace() if $ENV{DTS_ENABLE};

Enable the module anywhere in the stack (preferably the calling script)

$ENV{DTS_ENABLE} = 1;

From anywhere (typically near the end of the calling script) dump the output

trace_dump();

Automate the installation into a file (or all files in a directory). Requires Devel::Examine::Subs to be installed.

install_trace(file => 'filename'); # or directory, or 'Module::Name'

Remove the effects of install_trace(). Requires Devel::Examine::Subs to be installed.

remove_trace(file => 'filename')

See EXAMPLES for further details.

DESCRIPTION

This module facilitates keeping track of a project's code flow and stack trace information in calls between subroutines.

Optionally, you can use this module to automatically inject the appropriate trace() calls into all subs in individual files, all Perl files within a directory structure, or even in production files by specifying its Module::Name.

It also has the facility to undo what was done by the automatic installation mentioned above.

EXPORT

None by default. See EXPORT_OK.

EXPORT_OK

trace, trace_dump, install_trace, remove_trace

FUNCTIONS

trace

Takes no parameters.

In order to enable tracing, you must set $ENV{DTS_ENABLE} to a true value somewhere in the call stack (preferably in the calling script). Simply set to a false value (or remove it) to disable this module.

Puts the call onto the stack trace. Call it in scalar context to retrieve the data structure as it currently sits.

Note: It is best to write the call to this function within an if statement, eg: trace() if $ENV{DTS_ENABLE};. That way, if you decide to disable tracing, you'll short circuit the process of having the module's trace() function being loaded and doing this for you.

If you set $ENV{DTS_FLUSH_FLOW} to a true value, we'll print to STDOUT a single line of code flow during each trace() call. This helps in figuring out where a program is having trouble, but the program itself isn't outputting anything useful.

trace_dump(%params)

Parameters:

want => 'flow'|'stack'

Optional, String: Display either the code flow or stack trace.

Default: None (display both flow and trace information).

type => 'html'

Optional, String: The display output format. Only valid value is html.

Default: None (Display output in plain text).

file => 'filename.ext'

Optional, String: If sent in, we'll write the output to the file specified instead of STDOUT. We'll die() if the file can't be opened for writing.

Default: None (Write output to STDOUT).

install_trace

Automatically injects the necessary code into Perl files to facilitate stack tracing. Requires Devel::Examine::Subs to be installed.

Parameters:

file => 'filename.ext'

Mandatory, String: 'filename' can be the name of a single file, a directory, or even a 'Module::Name'. If the filename is a directory, we'll iterate recursively through the directory, and make the changes to all .pl and .pm files underneath of it (by default). If filename is a 'Module::Name', we'll load the file for that module dynamically, and modify it.

CAUTION: this will edit live production files.

extensions => ['*.pl', '*.pm']

Optional, Array reference: By default, we change all *.pm and *.pl files. Specify only the extensions you want by adding them into this array reference. Anything that File::Find::Rule::name() accepts can be passed in here.

inject => ['your code here;', 'more code;']

Optional, Array refernce of strings: The lines of code supplied here will override the default. Note that remove_trace() will not remove these lines, and for uninstall, you'll have to manually delete them.

remove_trace

Automatically remove all remnants of this module from a file or files, that were added by this module's install_trace() function. Requires Devel::Examine::Subs to be installed.

Parameters:

file => 'filename.ext'

Optional, String: 'filename' can be the name of a file, a directory or a 'Module::Name'.

EXAMPLES

One-liner to install into a live module:

sudo perl -MDevel::Trace::Subs=install_trace -e 'install_trace(file => "Data::Dump");'

One-liner to test that it worked:

perl -MData::Dump -MDevel::Trace::Subs=trace_dump -e '$ENV{DTS_TRACE}=1; dd {a=>1}; trace_dump();'

One-liner to uninstall:

sudo perl -MDevel::Trace::Subs=remove_trace -e 'remove_trace(file => "Data::Dump");'

Install into all *.pm files in a directory structure:

use warnings;
use strict;

use Devel::Trace::Subs qw(install_trace);

install_trace(
            file => '/path/to/files/',
            extensions => ['*.pm'],
         );

AUTHOR

Steve Bertrand, <steveb at cpan.org>

BUGS

Please report any bugs or feature requests to bug-devel-trace-flow at rt.cpan.org, or through the web interface at http://rt.cpan.org/NoAuth/ReportBug.html?Queue=Devel-Trace-Subs. I will be notified, and then you'll automatically be notified of progress on your bug as I make changes.

REPOSITORY

https://github.com/stevieb9/devel-trace-subs

BUILD REPORTS

CPAN Testers: http://matrix.cpantesters.org/?dist=Devel-Trace-Subs

SUPPORT

You can find documentation for this module with the perldoc command.

perldoc Devel::Trace::Subs

You can also look for information at:

LICENSE AND COPYRIGHT

Copyright 2022 Steve Bertrand.

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of either: the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; or the Artistic License.

See http://dev.perl.org/licenses/ for more information.