---
name: "PPI::Document::File"
section: "3pm"
platform: "linux"
package: "perl-ppi"
version: "1.291-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/PPI::Document::File"
---

# PPI::Document::File(3pm)

A Perl Document located in a specific file

## NAME

PPI::Document::File - A Perl Document located in a specific file

## DESCRIPTION

**WARNING: This class is experimental, and may change without notice**

**PPI::Document::File** provides a PPI::Document subclass that represents a Perl document stored in a specific named file.

## METHODS

### new

```
  my $file = PPI::Document::File->new( 'Module.pm' );
```

The `"new"` constructor works the same as for the regular one, except that the only params allowed is a file name. You cannot create an "anonymous" PPI::Document::File object, not can you create an empty one.

Returns a new PPI::Document::File object, or `"undef"` on error.

### save

```
  # Save to the file we were loaded from
  $file->save;

  # Save a copy to somewhere else
  $file->save( 'Module2.pm' );
```

The `"save"` method works similarly to the one in the parent PPI::Document class, saving a copy of the document to a file.

The difference with this subclass is that if `"save"` is not passed any filename, it will save it back to the file it was loaded from.

Note: When saving to a different file, it is considered to be saving a **copy** and so the value returned by the `"filename"` accessor will stay the same, and not change to the new filename.

## TO DO

\- May need to overload some methods to forcefully prevent Document objects becoming children of another Node.

## SUPPORT

See the support section in the main module.

## AUTHOR

Adam Kennedy \<adamk@cpan.org\>

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright 2001 - 2011 Adam Kennedy.

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

The full text of the license can be found in the LICENSE file included with this module.