---
name: "Acme::Damn"
section: "3pm"
platform: "linux"
package: "libacme-damn-perl"
version: "0.08-3+b1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/Acme::Damn"
---

# Acme::Damn(3pm)

'Unbless' Perl objects.

## NAME

Acme::Damn - 'Unbless' Perl objects.

## SYNOPSIS

```
  use Acme::Damn;
  my $ref = ... some reference ...
  my $obj = bless $ref , 'Some::Class';

  ... do something with your object ...
     $ref = damn $obj;   # recover the original reference (unblessed)
  ... neither $ref nor $obj are Some::Class objects ...
```

## DESCRIPTION

**Acme::Damn** provides a single routine, **damn()**, which takes a blessed reference (a Perl object), and *unblesses* it, to return the original reference.

### EXPORT

By default, **Acme::Damn** exports the method **damn()** into the current namespace. Aliases for **damn()** (see below) may be imported upon request.

### Methods

- **damn** *object*

  **damn()** accepts a single blessed reference as its argument, and returns that reference unblessed. If *object* is not a blessed reference, then **damn()** will `"die"` with an error.

- **bless** *reference*

  - **bless** *reference* \[ , *package* \]

  - **bless** *reference* \[ , undef \]

  Optionally, **Acme::Damn** will modify the behaviour of `"bless"` to allow the passing of an explicit `"undef"` as the target package to invoke **damn()**:

  ```
      use Acme::Damn  qw( bless );
      my  $obj = ... some blessed reference ...;
      # the following statements are equivalent
      my  $ref = bless $obj , undef;
      my  $ref = damn $obj;
  ```

  **NOTE:** The modification of `"bless"` is lexically scoped to the current package, and is *not* global.

### Method Aliases

Not everyone likes to damn the same way or in the same language, so **Acme::Damn** offers the ability to specify any alias on import, provided that alias is a valid Perl subroutine name (i.e. all characters match `"\w"`).

```
  use Acme::Damn qw( unbless );
  use Acme::Damn qw( foo );
  use Acme::Damn qw( unblessthyself );
  use Acme::Damn qw( recant );
```

Version 0.02 supported a defined list of aliases, and this has been replaced in v0.03 by the ability to import any alias for `damn()`.

## WARNING

Just as `"bless"` doesn't call an object's initialisation code, `"damn"` doesn't invoke an object's `"DESTROY"` method. For objects that need to be `"DESTROY"`ed, either don't `"damn"` them, or call `"DESTROY"` before judgement is passed.

## ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thanks to Claes Jacobsson \<claes@surfar.nu\> for suggesting the use of aliases, and Bo Lindbergh \<blgl@cpan.org\> for the suggested modification of `"bless"`.

## SEE ALSO

bless, perlboot, perltoot, perltooc, perlbot, perlobj.

## AUTHOR

Ian Brayshaw, \<ibb@cpan.org\>

## COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE

Copyright 2003-2016 Ian Brayshaw

This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.