NAME Clone::Any - Select an available recursive-copy function SYNOPSIS use Clone::Any qw(clone); $a = { 'foo' => 'bar', 'move' => 'zig' }; $b = [ 'alpha', 'beta', 'gamma', 'vlissides' ]; $c = new Foo(); $d = clone($a); $e = clone($b); $f = clone($c); DESCRIPTION This module checks for several different modules which can provide a clone() function to make deep copies of Perl data structures. Clone Interface The clone function makes recursive copies of nested hash, array, scalar and reference types, including tied variables and objects. The clone() function takes a scalar argument to copy. To duplicate lists, arrays or hashes, pass them in by reference. e.g. my $copy = clone(\@array); my @copy = @{ clone(\@array) }; my $copy = clone(\%hash); my %copy = %{ clone(\%hash) }; Multiple Implementations Depending on which modules are available, this may load Clone, Clone::PP, Util, Storable, or Class::MakeMethods::Utility::Ref. If none of those modules are available, it will "croak". SEE ALSO For the various implementations, see the Clone manpage, the Clone::PP manpage, the Storable manpage, the Util manpage, and the Class::MakeMethods::Utility::Ref manpage. See the Devel::UseAnyFunc manpage for the underlying module loader and exporter functionality. CREDITS AND COPYRIGHT Developed by Matthew Simon Cavalletto at Evolution Softworks. More free Perl software is available at "www.evoscript.org". You may contact the author directly at "evo@cpan.org" or "simonm@cavalletto.org". To report bugs via the CPAN web tracking system, go to "http://rt.cpan.org/NoAuth/Bugs.html?Dist=Clone-Any" or send mail to "Dist=Clone-Any#rt.cpan.org", replacing "#" with "@". Copyright 2003 Matthew Simon Cavalletto. Orignally inspired by Clone by Ray Finch with contributions from chocolateboy. Portions Copyright 2001 Ray Finch. Portions Copyright 2001 chocolateboy. You may use, modify, and distribute this software under the same terms as Perl.