accepts_perl

 $token->accepts_perl( '5.020' )
     and say 'This works under Perl 5.20';

This method returns a true value if the token is acceptable under the specified version of Perl, and a false value otherwise. Unless the token (or its contents) have been equivocated on, the result is simply what you would expect based on testing the results of perl_version_introduced() and perl_version_removed() versus the given Perl version number.

This method was added in version 0.051_01.

ancestor_of

can_be_quantified

 $token->can_be_quantified()
     and print "This element can be quantified.\n";

This method returns true if the element can be quantified.

class

column_number

comment

content

descendant_of

explain

This method should be considered experimental. What it returns may change without notice as my understanding of what all the pieces/parts of a Perl regular expression evolves. The worst case is that it will prove entirely infeasible to implement satisfactorily, in which case it will be put through a deprecation cycle and retracted.

error

 say $token->error();

If an element is one of the classes that represents a parse error, this method may return a brief message saying why. Otherwise it will return "undef".

is_matcher

The idea is to classify elements based on whether they potentially match something in the target string.

This method is overridden to return "undef" in PPIx::Regexp::Token::Code, PPIx::Regexp::Token::Interpolation, and PPIx::Regexp::Token::Unknown.

This method is overridden to return a true value in PPIx::Regexp::Token::Assertion, PPIx::Regexp::Token::CharClass, PPIx::Regexp::Token::Literal, and PPIx::Regexp::Token::Reference.

For PPIx::Regexp::Node, this method is overridden to return a value computed from the node's children.

For anything else this method returns a false (but defined) value.

in_regex_set

is_quantifier

 $token->is_quantifier()
     and print "This element is a quantifier.\n";

This method returns true if the element is a quantifier. You can not tell this from the element's class, because a right curly bracket may represent a quantifier for the purposes of figuring out whether a greediness token is possible.

line_number

location

The array is compatible with the corresponding PPI::Element method.

logical_filename

logical_line_number

main_structure

If the element is not contained in any such structure, "undef" is returned. This will happen if the element is a PPIx::Regexp or one of its immediate children.

modifier_asserted

 $token->modifier_asserted( 'i' )
     and print "Matched without regard to case.\n";

This method returns true if the given modifier is in effect for the element, and false otherwise.

What it does is to walk backwards from the element until it finds a modifier object that specifies the modifier, whether asserted or negated. and returns the specified value. If nobody specifies the modifier, it returns "undef".

This method will not work reliably if called on tokenizer output.

next_element

Unlike next_sibling(), this will cross from the content of a structure into the elements that define the structure, or vice versa.

next_sibling

next_token

Unlike next_element(), this will walk the parse tree.

parent

perl_version_introduced

Since this all depends on my ability to read and understand masses of documentation, the results of this method should be viewed with caution, if not downright skepticism.

There are also cases which are ambiguous in various ways. For those see the PPIx::Regexp documentation, particularly Changes in Syntax.

Very occasionally, a construct will be removed and then added back. If this happens, this method will return the lowest version in which the construct appeared. For the known instances of this, see the PPIx::Regexp documentation, particularly Equivocation.

perl_version_removed

All the caveats to perl_version_introduced() apply here also, though perhaps less severely since although many features have been introduced since 5.0, few have been removed.

Very occasionally, a construct will be removed and then added back. If this happens, this method will return the "undef" if the construct is present in the highest-numbered version of Perl (whether production or development), or the version after the highest-numbered version in which it appeared otherwise. For the known instances of this, see the PPIx::Regexp documentation, particularly Equivocation.

previous_element

Unlike previous_sibling(), this will cross from the content of a structure into the elements that define the structure, or vice versa.

previous_sibling

This method is analogous to the same-named PPI::Element method, in that it will not cross from the content of a structure into the elements that define the structure.

previous_token

Unlike previous_element(), this will walk the parse tree.

remove_insignificant

If you call this method on a PPIx::Regexp::Node you will get back a deep clone, but without the insignificant elements.

If you call this method on any other PPIx::Regexp class you will get back either the invocant or nothing. This may change to a clone of the invocant or nothing if unforseen problems arise with returning the invocant, or if objects become mutable (unlikely, but not impossible.)

requirements_for_perl

 say $token->requirements_for_perl();

This method returns a string representing the Perl requirements for a given module. This should only be used for informational purposes, as the format of the string may be subject to change.

At the moment, the returns may be:

 version <= $]
 version <= $] < version
 two or more of the above joined by '||'
 ! $]

The last means that, although all the components of the regular expression can be compiled by some version of Perl, there is no version that will compile all of them.

I reiterate: the returned string may be subject to change, maybe without warning.

This method was added in version 0.051_01.

scontent

This method was inspired by jb's question on Perl Monks about stripping comments and white space from a regular expression: <https://www.perlmonks.org/?node_id=1207556>

This method was added in version 0.053_01

significant

snext_element

Unlike snext_sibling(), this will cross from the content of a structure into the elements that define the structure, or vice versa.

snext_sibling

This method is analogous to the same-named PPI::Element method, in that it will not cross from the content of a structure into the elements that define the structure.

sprevious_element

Unlike sprevious_sibling(), this will cross from the content of a structure into the elements that define the structure, or vice versa.

sprevious_sibling

This method is analogous to the same-named PPI::Element method, in that it will not cross from the content of a structure into the elements that define the structure.

statement

In general this method will return something only under the following conditions:

• The element is contained in a PPIx::Regexp object;
• That object was initialized from a PPI::Element;
• The PPI::Element is contained in a statement.

tokens

top

unescaped_content

visual_column_number

whitespace

nav

 my @nav = $elem->nav();
 my $obj = $top;
 while ( @nav ) {
     my $method = shift @nav;
     my $args = shift @nav;
     $obj = $obj->$method( @{ $args } ) or die;
 }
 # At this point, $obj should contain the same object
 # as $elem.