Readonly version 0.05
=====================

DESCRIPTION

Readonly.pm provides a facility for creating non-modifiable scalars,
arrays, and hashes.

Perl provides a built-in mechanism (the "use constant" pragma) to
create constant scalars and lists.  That mechanism has several
limitations, however:

    It creates only scalars and lists.
    It creates "variables" that have no leading $ character.
    The variables it creates cannot be interpolated into strings.
    It works only at compile time.
    The variables it creates are global, never lexical.
    Sometimes you have to be careful with your syntax when using them.
    You can't pass these constants around like variables (for example,
        you can't take references to them).

Readonly.pm, by contrast:

    Creates scalars, arrays (not lists), and hashes.
    Creates variables that look and work like native perl variables.
    Creates global or lexical variables.
    Works at runtime or compile time.

EXAMPLES OF USE

    Readonly::Scalar $x => "A string value";
    Readonly::Array  @x => (1, 2, 3, 4);
    Readonly::Hash   %x => (key1 => 'value1', key2 => 'value2');

If the program subsequently tries to modify $x, @x, or %x, the program
will die with an error message.


INSTALLATION

To install this module, do the standard Perl module four-step:

   perl Makefile.PL
   make
   make test
   make install


DEVELOPMENT STATE

Officially "beta", hence the 0.x version number.  It is essentially
complete, however, and will be changed to 1.0 if no bugs are reported
for a while.


DEPENDENCIES

None.  Well, Carp.pm and Exporter.pm, but they come with Perl.


COPYRIGHT AND LICENCE

Eric J. Roode, eric@myxa.com

Copyright (c) 2001-2002 by Eric J. Roode. All Rights Reserved.  This module
is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the
same terms as Perl itself.

If you have suggestions for improvement, please drop me a line.  If
you make improvements to this software, I ask that you please send me
a copy of your changes. Thanks.
