NAME
Env::C - Get/Set/Unset Environment Variables on the C level
SYNOPSIS
use Env::C;
my $key = "USER";
$val = Env::C::getenv($key) || '';
Env::C::setenv($key, "foobar", [$override]);
$new_val = Env::C::getenv($key) || '';
Env::C::unsetenv($key);
my $ar_env = Env::C::getallenv();
print join "\n", @$ar_env;
DESCRIPTION
This module provides a Perl API for getenv(3), setenv(3) and
unsetenv(3). It also can return all the "environ" variables.
Sometimes Perl invokes modules with underlaying C APIs which rely on
certain environment variables to be set, if these variables are set in
Perl and the glue code doesn't worry to set them on the C level, these
variables might not be seen by the C level. This module shows what
really the C level sees.
FUNCTIONS
* getenv()
$val = Env::C::getenv($key);
Returns the value of the environment variable matching the key or
"undef".
* setenv()
Env::C::setenv($key, $value, [$override]);
The setenv() function adds the variable $key to the environment with
the value $value, if $key does not already exist. If $key does exist
in the environment, then its value is changed to $value if $override
is non-zero; if $override is zero or is not passed, then the value
of $key is not changed.
* unsetenv()
Env::C::unsetenv($key);
The unsetenv() function deletes the variable $key from the
environment.
* getallenv()
my $ar_env = Env::C::getallenv();
print join "\n", @$ar_env;
The getallenv() function returns an array reference which includes
all the environment variables.
EXPORT
None.
Thread-safety and Thread-locality
This module should not be used in the threaded enviroment.
Thread-locality: the OS, which maintains the struct "environ", shares it
between all threads in the process. So if you modify it in one thread,
all other threads will see the new value. Something that will most
likely break the code.
This module is not thread-safe, since two threads may attempt to
modify/read the struct "environ" at the same time. I could add locking
if in threaded-environment. However since the lock can't be seen by
other applications, they can still bypass it causing race condition. But
since thread-locality is not maintained, making this module thread-safe
is useless.
If you need to modify the C level of %ENV for all threads to see, do
that before threads are started. (e.g. for mod_perl 2.0, at the server
startup).
AUTHOR
Stas Bekman <stas@stason.org>
COPYRIGHT
This is a free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
the terms of the Artistic License.
SEE ALSO
perl.