[% setvar title Eliminate dump() function %]
<div id="archive-notice">
    <h3>This file is part of the Perl 6 Archive</h3>
    <table bgcolor="red"><tr><td><font color="white"> Note: these documents may be out of date. Do <b>not</b> use as reference!</font></tr></td></table>
    <p>To see what is currently happening visit <a href="http://www.perl6.org/">http://www.perl6.org/</a></p>
</div>
<div class='pod'>
<a name='TITLE'></a><h1>TITLE</h1>
<p>Eliminate dump() function</p>
<a name='VERSION'></a><h1>VERSION</h1>
<pre>  Maintainer: Dominus &lt;<a href='mailto:mjd@plover.com'>mjd@plover.com</a>&gt;
  Date: 20 Sep 2000
  Mailing List: <a href='mailto:perl6-language@perl.org'>perl6-language@perl.org</a>
  Number: 267
  Version: 1
  Status: Developing</pre>
<a name='ABSTRACT'></a><h1>ABSTRACT</h1>
<p>Get rid of it completely.</p>
<a name='DESCRIPTION'></a><h1>DESCRIPTION</h1>
<p>dump is a common subroutine name.  People often try to define a dump
subroutine and then get puzzled by the dump.  They have to name their
dump functions 'Dump' or 'dumper' and then they get annoying errors
when they call dump instead by mistake.</p>
<p>dump is not very useful anyway; see MIGRATION below.</p>
<a name='IMPLEMENTATION'></a><h1>IMPLEMENTATION</h1>
<p>None needed.</p>
<a name='MIGRATION'></a><h1>MIGRATION</h1>
<p>The translator should translate calls to dump() to</p>
<pre>        kill 6 =&gt; $$;</pre>
<p>instead.</p>
<p>If the translator fails on dump LABEL, that is probably all right.
But if not, then it can translate</p>
<pre>        ...
        dump LABEL;
        ...

        LABEL: 
        ...</pre>
<p>to</p>
<pre>        ...
        ${^Please_Dump} = 1;
        goto LABEL;
        ...

        LABEL:
        kill 6 =&gt; $$ if ${^Please_Dump};
        undef ${^Please_Dump};
        ...</pre>
<a name='REFERENCES'></a><h1>REFERENCES</h1>
<p>perlfunc manpage for discussion of dump()</p>
</div>