[OT] best way to determine existence of a function in a package

[Dirk Koopman]

Tim Sweetman wrote:
> Jonathan Rockway wrote:
> 
>> On Mon, 2007-11-19 at 11:16 +0000, Paul LeoNerd Evans wrote:
>>  
>>
>>> You don't need a reference. I've always found that UNIVERSAL::can() 
>>> works
>>> just as well:
>>>
>>>  if( my $subref = UNIVERSAL::can( "Package", "function" ) ) {
>>>     $subref->( args, here );
>>>  }
>>>
>>>   
>>
>> Everyone was quick to jump down your throat on this one, so I thought
>> I'd explain why.
>>
> They're just like that.
> 
> "Whenever you want to on AUTOLOAD() its almost always better to create a 
> generic method that takes the names you would have autoloaded as an 
> extra argument rather than having methods created on the fly" - Damian 
> Conway, "Perl Best Practices"
> 

Before we go off on  one again, could I point that I *specifically* 
asked to find out whether a *static* (i.e. not AUTOLOADed) function (not 
method) was defined or not in a *static* package.

>>
> How about
> 
> Local->can("function")
> 
> That'll work, I think, and, as far as I can see, should keep everyone 
> happy.
> 

Nope, that doesn't work, tried that. (Slightly) interestingly the first 
time I tried "defined &Local::bar" and got the "wrong" answer. Hence the 
attempt to use *Local::bar. It works now (even in 5005_03) so I am happy.

I *would* like to know "defined *Local::bar" always returns true.

Dirk