---
name: "File::Slurper"
section: "3pm"
platform: "linux"
package: "perl-file-slurper"
version: "0.014-6"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/File::Slurper"
---

# File::Slurper(3pm)

A simple, sane and efficient module to slurp a file

## NAME

File::Slurper - A simple, sane and efficient module to slurp a file

## VERSION

version 0.014

## SYNOPSIS

```
 use File::Slurper 'read_text';
 my $content = read_text($filename);
```

## DESCRIPTION

This module provides functions for fast and correct slurping and spewing. All functions are optionally exported. All functions throw exceptions on errors, write functions don't return any meaningful value.

## FUNCTIONS

### read\_text($filename, $encoding, $crlf)

Reads file `$filename` into a scalar and decodes it from `$encoding` (which defaults to UTF-8). If `$crlf` is true, crlf translation is performed. The default for this argument is off. The special value `'auto'` will set it to a platform specific default value.

### read\_binary($filename)

Reads file `$filename` into a scalar without any decoding or transformation.

### read\_lines($filename, $encoding, $crlf, $skip\_chomp)

Reads file `$filename` into a list/array line-by-line, after decoding from `$encoding`, optional crlf translation and chomping. It will always use newline as separator.

### write\_text($filename, $content, $encoding, $crlf)

Writes `$content` to file `$filename`, encoding it to `$encoding` (which defaults to UTF-8). It can also take a `"crlf"` argument that works exactly as in read\_text.

### write\_binary($filename, $content)

Writes `$content` to file `$filename` as binary data.

### read\_dir($dirname)

Open `"dirname"` and return all entries except `"."` and `".."`.

## RATIONALE

This module tries to make it as easy as possible to read and write files correctly and fast. The most correct way of doing this is not always obvious (e.g. #83126 \<https://rt.cpan.org/Public/Bug/Display.html?id=83126\>), and just as often the most obvious correct way is not the fastest correct way. This module hides away all such complications behind an easy intuitive interface.

## DEPENDENCIES

This module has an optional dependency on PerlIO::utf8\_strict. Installing this will make UTF-8 encoded IO significantly faster, but should not otherwise affect the operation of this module. This may change into a dependency on the related Unicode::UTF8 in the future.

## SEE ALSO

- •

  Path::Tiny

  A minimalistic abstraction handling not only IO but also paths.

- •

  IO::All

  An attempt to expose as many IO related features as possible via a single API.

- •

  File::Slurp

  This is a previous generation file slurping module. It has a number of issues, as described here \<http://blogs.perl.org/users/leon\_timmermans/2015/08/fileslurp-is-broken-and-wrong.html\>.

- •

  File::Slurp::Tiny

  This was my previous attempt at a better file slurping module. It's mostly (but not entirely) a drop-in replacement for File::Slurp, which is both a feature (easy conversion) and a bug (interface issues).

## TODO

- •

  `"open_text"`/`"open_binary"`?

- •

  `"drain_handle"`?

## AUTHOR

Leon Timmermans \<leont@cpan.org\>

## COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE

This software is copyright (c) 2014 by Leon Timmermans.

This is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as the Perl 5 programming language system itself.