use Perl

• splice? (Score:1)

  by dagolden (6584)

  I think this will do it:

  sub get_log { return splice @log }

  Just make sure you use it in list context, though.

  -- dagolden
  • Re: (Score:2)

    by AndyArmstrong (7200)

    Lovely!

    You don't even need the return:

    sub get_log { splice @log }

    That is a hack of great beauty. Thanks David :)
    • Re: (Score:1)

      by dagolden (6584)

      I only stuck the return in because I thought you were a Perl::Critic kinda guy. ;-)
      
      -- dagolden
      • Re: (Score:2)

        by AndyArmstrong (7200)

        I have mixed feelings about Perl::Critic. In any event, today I'm a do whatever feels good kinda guy :)
        • Re: (Score:1)

          by sigzero (5768)

          Perl::Critic is a Perl "advisor" for me. I look at what it spits out and decide on my own if I want to "conform". I have PBP on my desk so I can read up on why it wants me to do it a certain way.
• A different solution (Score:1)

  by Aristotle (5147)

  This isn’t better, but in the spirit of TMTOWTDI and of the select idiom from perldoc -q unbuffer…

  sub get_log { @{ ( [@log], @log=() )[0] } }

  Or to do away with the array-copy, assuming you have set up with “my $log = []” instead:

  sub get_log { @{ ( \@$log, $log=[] )[0] } }

  The \@$ construction is there to force Perl to make a new copy of the array reference in $log. That way the first list element is a copy of $log instead of an alias, and therefore unaffected by the overwrit
• delete Works Too (Score:1)

  by Smylers (2592)

  You can also do this with delete instead of splice:

  sub get_log { delete @log[0 .. $#log] }

  It's slightly slower than splice but you may consider it's closer to documenting your intent.
  • Re: (Score:2)

    by AndyArmstrong (7200)

    We better not let any civilians see this thread otherwise Perl will get a bad name :)
• Check out Test::Resub (Score:1)

  by nmueller (1273)

  It does it all for you, and provides a nice interface to grabbing function arguments.