---
name: "IO::Pipe"
section: "3perl"
platform: "linux"
package: "perl"
version: "5.44.0-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/IO::Pipe/3perl"
---

# IO::Pipe(3perl)

supply object methods for pipes

## NAME

IO::Pipe - supply object methods for pipes

## SYNOPSIS

```
        use IO::Pipe;
        $pipe = IO::Pipe->new();
        if($pid = fork()) { # Parent
            $pipe->reader();
            while(<$pipe>) {
                ...
            }
        }
        elsif(defined $pid) { # Child
            $pipe->writer();
            print $pipe ...
        }
        or
        $pipe = IO::Pipe->new();
        $pipe->reader(qw(ls -l));
        while(<$pipe>) {
            ...
        }
```

## DESCRIPTION

`"IO::Pipe"` provides an interface to creating pipes between processes.

## CONSTRUCTOR

- new ( \[READER, WRITER\] )

  Creates an `"IO::Pipe"`, which is a reference to a newly created symbol (see the Symbol package). `"IO::Pipe::new"` optionally takes two arguments, which should be objects blessed into `"IO::Handle"`, or a subclass thereof. These two objects will be used for the system call to `"pipe"`. If no arguments are given then method `"handles"` is called on the new `"IO::Pipe"` object.

  These two handles are held in the array part of the GLOB until either `"reader"` or `"writer"` is called.

## METHODS

- reader (\[ARGS\])

  The object is re-blessed into a sub-class of `"IO::Handle"`, and becomes a handle at the reading end of the pipe. If `"ARGS"` are given then `"fork"` is called and `"ARGS"` are passed to exec.

- writer (\[ARGS\])

  The object is re-blessed into a sub-class of `"IO::Handle"`, and becomes a handle at the writing end of the pipe. If `"ARGS"` are given then `"fork"` is called and `"ARGS"` are passed to exec.

- handles ()

  This method is called during construction by `"IO::Pipe::new"` on the newly created `"IO::Pipe"` object. It returns an array of two objects blessed into `"IO::Pipe::End"`, or a subclass thereof.

## SEE ALSO

IO::Handle

## AUTHOR

Graham Barr. Currently maintained by the Perl Porters.  Please report all bugs at \<https://github.com/Perl/perl5/issues\>.

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright (c) 1996-8 Graham Barr \<gbarr@pobox.com\>. All rights reserved. This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.