NAME
    Class::XSAccessor::Array - Generate fast XS accessors without runtime
    compilation

SYNOPSIS
      package MyClassUsingArraysAsInternalStorage;
      use Class::XSAccessor::Array
        constructor => 'new',
        getters => {
          get_foo => 0, # 0 is the array index to access
          get_bar => 1,
        },
        setters => {
          set_foo => 0,
          set_bar => 1,
        },
        accessors => { # a mutator
          buz => 2,
        },
        predicates => { # test for definedness
          has_buz => 2,
        };
      # The imported methods are implemented in fast XS.
  
      # normal class code here.

DESCRIPTION
    The module implements fast XS accessors both for getting at and setting
    an object attribute. Additionally, the module supports mutators and
    simple predicates ("has_foo()" like tests for definedness of an
    attributes). The module works only with objects that are implemented as
    arrays. Using it on hash-based objects is bound to make your life
    miserable. Refer to Class::XSAccessor for an implementation that works
    with hash-based objects.

    A simple benchmark showed more than a factor of two performance
    advantage over writing accessors in Perl.

    Since version 0.10, the module can also generate simple constructors
    (implemented in XS) for you. Simply supply the "constructor =>
    'constructor_name'" option or the "constructors => ['new', 'create',
    'spawn']" option. These constructors do the equivalent of the following
    perl code:

      sub new {
        my $class = shift;
        return bless [], ref($class)||$class;
      }

    That means they can be called on objects and classes but will not clone
    objects entirely. Note that any parameters to new() will be discarded!
    If there is a better idiom for array-based objects, let me know.

    While generally more obscure than hash-based objects, objects using
    blessed arrays as internal representation are a bit faster as its
    somewhat faster to access arrays than hashes. Accordingly, this module
    is slightly faster (~10-15%) than Class::XSAccessor, which works on
    hash-based objects.

    The method names may be fully qualified. In the example of the synopsis,
    you could have written "MyClass::get_foo" instead of "get_foo". This
    way, you can install methods in classes other than the current class.
    See also: The "class" option below.

OPTIONS
    In addition to specifying the types and names of accessors, you can add
    options which modify behaviour. The options are specified as key/value
    pairs just as the accessor declaration. Example:

      use Class::XSAccessor::Array
        getters => {
          get_foo => 0,
        },
        replace => 1;

    The list of available options is:

  replace
    Set this to a true value to prevent "Class::XSAccessor::Array" from
    complaining about replacing existing subroutines.

  chained
    Set this to a true value to change the return value of setters and
    mutators (when called with an argument). If "chained" is enabled, the
    setters and accessors/mutators will return the object. Mutators called
    without an argument still return the value of the associated attribute.

    As with the other options, "chained" affects all methods generated in
    the same "use Class::XSAccessor::Array ..." statement.

  class
    By default, the accessors are generated in the calling class. Using the
    "class" option, you can explicitly specify where the methods are to be
    generated.

CAVEATS
    Probably wouldn't work if your objects are *tied*. But that's a strange
    thing to do anyway.

    Scary code exploiting strange XS features.

    If you think writing an accessor in XS should be a laughably simple
    exercise, then please contemplate how you could instantiate a new XS
    accessor for a new hash key or array index that's only known at
    run-time. Note that compiling C code at run-time a la Inline::C is a no
    go.

SEE ALSO
    Class::XSAccessor

    AutoXS

AUTHOR
    Steffen Mueller, <smueller@cpan.org>

COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE
    Copyright (C) 2008 by Steffen Mueller

    This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
    under the same terms as Perl itself, either Perl version 5.8 or, at your
    option, any later version of Perl 5 you may have available.

