---
name: "Zoidberg::Utils::Output"
section: "3pm"
platform: "linux"
package: "zoidberg"
version: "0.96-1"
release: "Debian 5.0 (Lenny)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/Zoidberg::Utils::Output"
---

# Zoidberg::Utils::Output(3pm)

Zoidberg output routines

## NAME

Zoidberg::Utils::Output - Zoidberg output routines

## SYNOPSIS

```
        use Zoidberg::Utils qw/:output/;
```

```
        # use this instead of perlfunc print
        output "get some string outputted";
        output { string => 'or some data struct dumped' };
```

## DESCRIPTION

This module provides some routines used by various Zoidberg modules to output data.

Although when working within the Zoidberg framework this module should be used through the Zoidberg::Utils interface, it also can be used on it's own.

## EXPORT

By default all of the below except `"typed_output"`.

## METHODS

- "output(@\_)"

  Output a list of possibly mixed data structs as nice as possible.

  A reference to an array of plain scalars may be outputted as a multicolumn list, more complex data will be dumped using Data::Dumper.

- "message(@\_)"

  Like `"output()"` but tags data as a message, in non-interactive mode these may not  be printed at all.

- "debug(@\_)"

  Like `"output()"` tags the data as debug output, will only be printed when in debug mode. Debug ouput will be printed to STDERR if printed at all.

- "complain(@\_)"

  Like `"output"` but intended for error messages, data will be printed to STDERR. Has some glue for error objects created by Zoidberg::Utils::Error. Prints `$@` when no argument is given.

- "typed\_output($type, @\_)"

  Method that can be used to define output types that don't fit in the above group. `$type` must be a plain string that is used as output 'tag'.

- "output\_is\_captured($type, @\_)"

  Method that returns a boolean that tells whether output is captured or not. This can be used to make terminal output different from data struct output.

## AUTHOR

Jaap Karssenberg ⎪⎪ Pardus \[Larus\] \<pardus@cpan.org\>

Copyright (c) 2003 Jaap G Karssenberg. All rights reserved. This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.

## SEE ALSO

Zoidberg, Zoidberg::Utils