proposed fix for references to tied hash keys #7271

p5pRT · 2004-04-28T07:57:49Z

Migrated from rt.perl.org#29224 (status was 'open')

Searchable as RT29224$

p5pRT · 2004-04-28T07:57:52Z

From @muir

Created by @muir

I've run into many bugs with references to tied hash keys.
Some of them are documented in bug # 27555. In addition to
what's there, I've had core dumps that I haven't reported
because I couldn't find a self-contained test case. Basically
I've concluded that refereces to tied hash keys are too broken
to use.

Even if all of the bugs in 27555 were fixed (and the core dumps too),
there would still be a problem: tied hash code sometimes needs to know
that a reference has been made. My soon-to-be-released persistent
object store module uses tied hashes that very much need to know about
references.

I propose that an additional tie method: GETREF.

GETREF would be invoked whenver someone did:

$x = \%tiedhash{key}

It would return the reference.

If a GETREF method isn't provided, perl can fall back to the current broken
behavior.

An example from my module... Values in $hash1 and $hash2 are only loaded into
memory as they are accessed.

$hash1->{x} = \$hash2->{y};

... time passes and $hash1 is saved persistently and is
no longer in memory...

$hash1->{z} = \$hash2->{y}; # a ref is made
delete $hash2->{y};
${$hash1->{z}} = 'a'; # change the value
$hash1->{b} = ${$hash1->{x}}; # $hash1->{x} is loaded into memory

in my module $hash1->{b} is 'a' but that's only possible because I fake
up a call to GETREF. Just fixing the bug # 27555 would not allow this
to work.

Here's how I'm working around the lack of GETREF:

use B qw(svref_2object);

sub workaround27555
{
my $self = shift;
my ($tiedaddr, $key) = tied_hash_reference($_[0]);
print "workaround27555($qaddr{\$_[0]}) no tied addr\n" if $debug_27555 && ! $tiedaddr;
return $_[0] unless $tiedaddr;

... application specific code to translate from $tiedaddr to $tied ...

$_[0] = $tied->GETREF($key);
print "workaround27555($qaddr{\$_[0]}) references %*$id/'$key - replaced with GETREF\n" if $debug_27555;
return $_[0];
}

sub tied_hash_reference
{
my ($ref) = @_;
local($@);
return eval {
my $magic = svref_2object($ref)->MAGIC;
$magic = $magic->MOREMAGIC
while lc($magic->TYPE) ne 'p';
return (${$magic->OBJ->RV}, $magic->PTR->as_string);
};
}

It's used like:

$x = \%tiedhash{key}
$myobj->workaround27555($x);

I also have an explicit getref function alternative:

use UNIVERSAL qw(can);

sub getref(\%$)
{
my $hash = shift;
my $key = shift;
my $tied = tied %$hash;
die unless reftype($hash) eq 'HASH';
return \$hash->{$key} unless $tied && $tied->can('GETREF');
print "getref getting references for '$key'\n" if $debug_27555;
return $tied->GETREF($key);
}

It's used as:

$x = getref(%tiedhash, 'key');

Perl Info


Flags:
    category=core
    severity=wishlist

Site configuration information for perl v5.8.3:

Configured by Debian Project at Sat Mar 27 17:07:14 EST 2004.

Summary of my perl5 (revision 5.0 version 8 subversion 3) configuration:
  Platform:
    osname=linux, osvers=2.4.25-ti1211, archname=i386-linux-thread-multi
    uname='linux kosh 2.4.25-ti1211 #1 thu feb 19 18:20:12 est 2004 i686 gnulinux '
    config_args='-Dusethreads -Duselargefiles -Dccflags=-DDEBIAN -Dcccdlflags=-fPIC -Darchname=i386-linux -Dprefix=/usr -Dprivlib=/usr/share/perl/5.8 -Darchlib=/usr/lib/perl/5.8 -Dvendorprefix=/usr -Dvendorlib=/usr/share/perl5 -Dvendorarch=/usr/lib/perl5 -Dsiteprefix=/usr/local -Dsitelib=/usr/local/share/perl/5.8.3 -Dsitearch=/usr/local/lib/perl/5.8.3 -Dman1dir=/usr/share/man/man1 -Dman3dir=/usr/share/man/man3 -Dsiteman1dir=/usr/local/man/man1 -Dsiteman3dir=/usr/local/man/man3 -Dman1ext=1 -Dman3ext=3perl -Dpager=/usr/bin/sensible-pager -Uafs -Ud_csh -Uusesfio -Uusenm -Duseshrplib -Dlibperl=libperl.so.5.8.3 -Dd_dosuid -des'
    hint=recommended, useposix=true, d_sigaction=define
    usethreads=define use5005threads=undef useithreads=define usemultiplicity=define
    useperlio=define d_sfio=undef uselargefiles=define usesocks=undef
    use64bitint=undef use64bitall=undef uselongdouble=undef
    usemymalloc=n, bincompat5005=undef
  Compiler:
    cc='cc', ccflags ='-D_REENTRANT -D_GNU_SOURCE -DTHREADS_HAVE_PIDS -DDEBIAN -fno-strict-aliasing -I/usr/local/include -D_LARGEFILE_SOURCE -D_FILE_OFFSET_BITS=64',
    optimize='-O3',
    cppflags='-D_REENTRANT -D_GNU_SOURCE -DTHREADS_HAVE_PIDS -DDEBIAN -fno-strict-aliasing -I/usr/local/include'
    ccversion='', gccversion='3.3.3 (Debian 20040314)', gccosandvers=''
    intsize=4, longsize=4, ptrsize=4, doublesize=8, byteorder=1234
    d_longlong=define, longlongsize=8, d_longdbl=define, longdblsize=12
    ivtype='long', ivsize=4, nvtype='double', nvsize=8, Off_t='off_t', lseeksize=8
    alignbytes=4, prototype=define
  Linker and Libraries:
    ld='cc', ldflags =' -L/usr/local/lib'
    libpth=/usr/local/lib /lib /usr/lib
    libs=-lgdbm -lgdbm_compat -ldb -ldl -lm -lpthread -lc -lcrypt
    perllibs=-ldl -lm -lpthread -lc -lcrypt
    libc=/lib/libc-2.3.2.so, so=so, useshrplib=true, libperl=libperl.so.5.8.3
    gnulibc_version='2.3.2'
  Dynamic Linking:
    dlsrc=dl_dlopen.xs, dlext=so, d_dlsymun=undef, ccdlflags='-rdynamic'
    cccdlflags='-fPIC', lddlflags='-shared -L/usr/local/lib'

Locally applied patches:
    


@INC for perl v5.8.3:
    /etc/perl
    /usr/local/lib/perl/5.8.3
    /usr/local/share/perl/5.8.3
    /usr/lib/perl5
    /usr/share/perl5
    /usr/lib/perl/5.8
    /usr/share/perl/5.8
    /usr/local/lib/site_perl
    /usr/local/lib/perl/5.8.2
    /usr/local/share/perl/5.8.2
    .


Environment for perl v5.8.3:
    HOME=/home/muir
    LANG=C
    LANGUAGE (unset)
    LD_LIBRARY_PATH (unset)
    LOGDIR (unset)
    PATH=.:/home/muir/bin/charm:/home/muir/bin:/home/muir/bin/share:/bin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/usr/sbin:/usr/local/shbin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/ptybin:/usr/X11R6/bin:/usr/bin/X11:/usr/local/tex/bin:/usr/ucb:/usr/bin:/bin:/etc:/usr/etc:/usr/games:/lib:/usr/lib:/usr/local/java/bin:/usr/lib/uucp:/usr/openwin/bin:/usr/openwin/bin/xview:/usr/openwin/demo:/usr/adm:/home/muir/tmp
    PERL_BADLANG (unset)
    SHELL=/bin/tcsh

p5pRT · 2012-10-12T00:21:58Z

From @jkeenan

On Wed Apr 28 00:57:52 2004, muir@idiom.com wrote:

This is a bug report for perl from muir@idiom.com,
generated with the help of perlbug 1.34 running under perl v5.8.3.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
[Please enter your report here]

I've run into many bugs with references to tied hash keys.
Some of them are documented in bug # 27555. In addition to
what's there, I've had core dumps that I haven't reported
because I couldn't find a self-contained test case. Basically
I've concluded that refereces to tied hash keys are too broken
to use.

Even if all of the bugs in 27555 were fixed (and the core dumps too),
there would still be a problem: tied hash code sometimes needs to know
that a reference has been made. My soon-to-be-released persistent
object store module uses tied hashes that very much need to know about
references.

Was that module ever released to CPAN? (Nothing at
http://search.cpan.org/~muir/ leaps out to me.)

I propose that an additional tie method: GETREF.

GETREF would be invoked whenver someone did:
$x = \\%tiedhash\{key\}
It would return the reference.

If a GETREF method isn't provided, perl can fall back to the current
broken
behavior.

An example from my module... Values in $hash1 and $hash2 are only
loaded into
memory as they are accessed.
$hash1\->\{x\} = \\$hash2\->\{y\};

\.\.\. time passes and $hash1 is saved persistently and is
no longer in memory\.\.\.

$hash1\->\{z\} = \\$hash2\->\{y\};        \# a ref is made
delete $hash2\->\{y\};
$\{$hash1\->\{z\}\} = 'a';            \# change the value
$hash1\->\{b\} = $\{$hash1\->\{x\}\};        \# $hash1\->\{x\} is loaded into memory
in my module $hash1->{b} is 'a' but that's only possible because I
fake
up a call to GETREF. Just fixing the bug # 27555 would not allow
this
to work.

Here's how I'm working around the lack of GETREF:
use B qw$svref\_2object$;

sub workaround27555
\{
    my $self = shift;
    my $$tiedaddr\, $key$ = tied\_hash\_reference$$\_\[0\]$;
    print "workaround27555$$qaddr\{\\$\_\[0\]\}$ no tied addr\\n" if
$debug_27555 && ! $tiedaddr;
return $_[0] unless $tiedaddr;
    \.\.\. application specific code to translate from $tiedaddr to $tied
...
    $\_\[0\] = $tied\->GETREF$$key$;
    print "workaround27555$$qaddr\{\\$\_\[0\]\}$ references %\*$id/'$key \-
replaced with GETREF\n" if $debug_27555;
return $_[0];
}
sub tied\_hash\_reference
\{
    my $$ref$ = @&#8203;\_;
    local$$@&#8203;$;
    return eval \{
        my $magic = svref\_2object$$ref$\->MAGIC;
        $magic = $magic\->MOREMAGIC
            while lc$$magic\->TYPE$ ne 'p';
        return $$\{$magic\->OBJ\->RV\}\, $magic\->PTR\->as\_string$;
    \};
\}
It's used like:
$x = \\%tiedhash\{key\}
$myobj\->workaround27555$$x$;
I also have an explicit getref function alternative:
use UNIVERSAL qw$can$;

sub getref$\\%$$
\{
    my $hash = shift;
    my $key = shift;
    my $tied = tied %$hash;
    die unless reftype$$hash$ eq 'HASH';
    return \\$hash\->\{$key\} unless $tied && $tied\->can$'GETREF'$;
    print "getref getting references for '$key'\\n" if $debug\_27555;
    return $tied\->GETREF$$key$;
\}
It's used as:
$x = getref$%tiedhash\, 'key'$;

Thank you very much.
Jim Keenan

p5pRT · 2012-10-12T00:21:59Z

The RT System itself - Status changed from 'new' to 'open'

p5pRT · 2012-10-12T21:46:24Z

From @muir

Yes. It is OOPS (http://search.cpan.org/~muir/OOPS/).

I developed a workaround for the issue that complicates use of my module
(as a user of the module, you have to do something special with your tied
hash key references so that OOPS can handle them). My workaround uses
B::svref_2object.

I would still like the GETREF tie method.

Thanks,
-Dave

On Thu, Oct 11, 2012 at 5:21 PM, James E Keenan via RT <
perlbug-followup@perl.org> wrote:

On Wed Apr 28 00:57:52 2004, muir@idiom.com wrote:

This is a bug report for perl from muir@idiom.com,
generated with the help of perlbug 1.34 running under perl v5.8.3.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
[Please enter your report here]

I've run into many bugs with references to tied hash keys.
Some of them are documented in bug # 27555. In addition to
what's there, I've had core dumps that I haven't reported
because I couldn't find a self-contained test case. Basically
I've concluded that refereces to tied hash keys are too broken
to use.

Even if all of the bugs in 27555 were fixed (and the core dumps too),
there would still be a problem: tied hash code sometimes needs to know
that a reference has been made. My soon-to-be-released persistent
object store module uses tied hashes that very much need to know about
references.

Was that module ever released to CPAN? (Nothing at
http://search.cpan.org/~muir/ leaps out to me.)
I propose that an additional tie method: GETREF.

GETREF would be invoked whenver someone did:
  $x = \\%tiedhash\{key\}
It would return the reference.

If a GETREF method isn't provided, perl can fall back to the current
broken
behavior.

An example from my module... Values in $hash1 and $hash2 are only
loaded into
memory as they are accessed.
  $hash1\->\{x\} = \\$hash2\->\{y\};

  \.\.\. time passes and $hash1 is saved persistently and is
  no longer in memory\.\.\.

  $hash1\->\{z\} = \\$hash2\->\{y\};             \# a ref is made
  delete $hash2\->\{y\};
  $\{$hash1\->\{z\}\} = 'a';                   \# change the value
  $hash1\->\{b\} = $\{$hash1\->\{x\}\};           \# $hash1\->\{x\} is loaded
into memory
in my module $hash1->{b} is 'a' but that's only possible because I
fake
up a call to GETREF. Just fixing the bug # 27555 would not allow
this
to work.

Here's how I'm working around the lack of GETREF:
  use B qw$svref\_2object$;

  sub workaround27555
  \{
          my $self = shift;
          my $$tiedaddr\, $key$ = tied\_hash\_reference$$\_\[0\]$;
          print "workaround27555$$qaddr\{\\$\_\[0\]\}$ no tied addr\\n" if
$debug_27555 && ! $tiedaddr;
return $_[0] unless $tiedaddr;
          \.\.\. application specific code to translate from $tiedaddr
to $tied
...
          $\_\[0\] = $tied\->GETREF$$key$;
          print "workaround27555$$qaddr\{\\$\_\[0\]\}$ references
%*$id/'$key -
replaced with GETREF\n" if $debug_27555;
return $_[0];
}
  sub tied\_hash\_reference
  \{
          my $$ref$ = @&#8203;\_;
          local$$@&#8203;$;
          return eval \{
                  my $magic = svref\_2object$$ref$\->MAGIC;
                  $magic = $magic\->MOREMAGIC
                          while lc$$magic\->TYPE$ ne 'p';
                  return $$\{$magic\->OBJ\->RV\}\,
$magic->PTR->as_string);
          \};
  \}
It's used like:
  $x = \\%tiedhash\{key\}
  $myobj\->workaround27555\($x$;
I also have an explicit getref function alternative:
  use UNIVERSAL qw$can$;

  sub getref$\\%$$
  \{
          my $hash = shift;
          my $key = shift;
          my $tied = tied %$hash;
          die unless reftype$$hash$ eq 'HASH';
          return \\$hash\->\{$key\} unless $tied && $tied\->can$'GETREF'$;
          print "getref getting references for '$key'\\n" if
$debug_27555;
          return $tied\->GETREF$$key$;
  \}
It's used as:
  $x = getref$%tiedhash\, 'key'$;
Thank you very much.
Jim Keenan

---
via perlbug: queue: perl5 status: new
https://rt-archive.perl.org/perl5/Ticket/Display.html?id=29224

p5pRT · 2016-07-06T20:17:48Z

From @dcollinsn

Is there anything blocking this request to add the GETREF tie method?

p5pRT · 2016-07-06T20:27:26Z

From @muir

On Wed Jul 06 13:17:48 2016, dcollinsn@gmail.com wrote:

Is there anything blocking this request to add the GETREF tie method?

Not that I know of.

p5pRT · 2016-07-06T20:27:26Z

From [Unknown Contact. See original ticket]

On Wed Jul 06 13:17:48 2016, dcollinsn@gmail.com wrote:

Is there anything blocking this request to add the GETREF tie method?

Not that I know of.

p5pRT added Wishlist affects-5.8 distro-Linux type-core labels Oct 18, 2019

xenu removed the affects-5.8 label Nov 19, 2021

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proposed fix for references to tied hash keys #7271

proposed fix for references to tied hash keys #7271

p5pRT commented Apr 28, 2004

p5pRT commented Apr 28, 2004

p5pRT commented Oct 12, 2012

p5pRT commented Oct 12, 2012

p5pRT commented Oct 12, 2012

p5pRT commented Jul 6, 2016

p5pRT commented Jul 6, 2016

p5pRT commented Jul 6, 2016

proposed fix for references to tied hash keys #7271

proposed fix for references to tied hash keys #7271

Comments

p5pRT commented Apr 28, 2004

p5pRT commented Apr 28, 2004

From @muir

Created by @muir

p5pRT commented Oct 12, 2012

From @jkeenan

p5pRT commented Oct 12, 2012

p5pRT commented Oct 12, 2012

From @muir

p5pRT commented Jul 6, 2016

From @dcollinsn

p5pRT commented Jul 6, 2016

From @muir

p5pRT commented Jul 6, 2016

From [Unknown Contact. See original ticket]