p5-Test-Refcount

Assert reference counts on objects

The Perl garbage collector uses simple reference counting during the normal execution of a program. This means that cycles or unweakened references in other parts of code can keep an object around for longer than intended. To help avoid this problem, the reference count of a new object from its class constructor ought to be 1. This way, the caller can know the object will be properly DESTROYed when it drops all of its references to it. Test::Refcount provides two test functions to help ensure this property holds for an object class, so as to be polite to its callers. If the assertion fails; that is, if the actual reference count is different to what was expected, a trace of references to the object can be printed, if Marc Lehmann's Devel::FindRef module is installed. This may assist the developer in finding where the references are.