Error in perl module "bignum"...

[Chubasco]

In trying to use the module "bignum", I am getting the message "Can't call
method "copy" without a package or object reference at
C:/Perl/lib/Math/BigInt.pm line 97.".

This is using ActiveState v.5.8.8 for MSWin32-x86-multi-thread.

Any ideas as to how to resolve this problem???

[Eric R. Meyers]

Chubasco wrote:

> In trying to use the module "bignum", I am getting the message "Can't call
> method "copy" without a package or object reference at
> C:/Perl/lib/Math/BigInt.pm line 97.".
>
> This is using ActiveState v.5.8.8 for MSWin32-x86-multi-thread.
>
> Any ideas as to how to resolve this problem???

First look at 'copy' on line 97 of that file. Then you should look for a
require that looks related to the 'copy' context, something like 'require
File::Copy' maybe. Change 'copy' to 'File::Copy::copy', or just 'use
File::Copy'.

Eric

[Eric R. Meyers]

Chubasco wrote:

> In trying to use the module "bignum", I am getting the message "Can't call
> method "copy" without a package or object reference at
> C:/Perl/lib/Math/BigInt.pm line 97.".
>
> This is using ActiveState v.5.8.8 for MSWin32-x86-multi-thread.
>
> Any ideas as to how to resolve this problem???

Goto rt.cpan.org and create a bug ticket. If you find the fix, give them
that fix too, along with the error output.

[url]http://rt.cpan.org/Public/Dist/Display.html?Name=Math%3A%3ABigInt[/url]

Eric

[harryfmudd [AT] comcast [DOT] net]

Eric R. Meyers wrote:

> Chubasco wrote:
>
>

>>In trying to use the module "bignum", I am getting the message "Can't call
>>method "copy" without a package or object reference at
>>C:/Perl/lib/Math/BigInt.pm line 97.".
>>
>>This is using ActiveState v.5.8.8 for MSWin32-x86-multi-thread.
>>
>>Any ideas as to how to resolve this problem???

>
>
> First look at 'copy' on line 97 of that file. Then you should look for a
> require that looks related to the 'copy' context, something like 'require
> File::Copy' maybe. Change 'copy' to 'File::Copy::copy', or just 'use
> File::Copy'.
>
> Eric

I doubt this has anything to do with File::Copy. Line 97 turns out to be
the code for overloading the '+' operator (at least, in Math::BigInt
1.77), and appears to be referring to Math::BigInt's own copy() method.

To me, there is insufficient information in the original post to tell
what the problem is. A _minimal_ script exhibiting the problem would help.

That said, general advice would be to be sure the latest versions of the
modules involved are in use. In the case of ActivePerl, this means
something like

ppm> upgrade

(which actually upgrades nothing - it just says what needs to be upgraded).

Should the original poster find that the problem exists with the latest
modules and decide to file a bug report, this minimal script should be
included, along with the version numbers of both bignum and Math::BigInt
(just to assure the maintainer that you _did_ use the latest), and in
addition to the Perl version number and the OS you're using.

Tom Wyant

[Eric R. Meyers]

"harryfmudd [AT] comcast [DOT] net" <"harryfmudd [AT] comcast [DOT] net">
wrote:

> Eric R. Meyers wrote:

>> Chubasco wrote:
>>
>>

>>>In trying to use the module "bignum", I am getting the message "Can't
>>>call method "copy" without a package or object reference at
>>>C:/Perl/lib/Math/BigInt.pm line 97.".
>>>
>>>This is using ActiveState v.5.8.8 for MSWin32-x86-multi-thread.
>>>
>>>Any ideas as to how to resolve this problem???

>>
>>
>> First look at 'copy' on line 97 of that file. Then you should look for a
>> require that looks related to the 'copy' context, something like 'require
>> File::Copy' maybe. Change 'copy' to 'File::Copy::copy', or just 'use
>> File::Copy'.
>>
>> Eric

>
> I doubt this has anything to do with File::Copy. Line 97 turns out to be
> the code for overloading the '+' operator (at least, in Math::BigInt
> 1.77), and appears to be referring to Math::BigInt's own copy() method.
>
> To me, there is insufficient information in the original post to tell
> what the problem is. A _minimal_ script exhibiting the problem would help.
>
> That said, general advice would be to be sure the latest versions of the
> modules involved are in use. In the case of ActivePerl, this means
> something like
>
> ppm> upgrade
>
> (which actually upgrades nothing - it just says what needs to be
> upgraded).
>
> Should the original poster find that the problem exists with the latest
> modules and decide to file a bug report, this minimal script should be
> included, along with the version numbers of both bignum and Math::BigInt
> (just to assure the maintainer that you _did_ use the latest), and in
> addition to the Perl version number and the OS you're using.
>
> Tom Wyant

Yes, I just gave File::Copy as a close example for something that might have
been in a require providing a copy function, because I didn't know what the
copy was supposed to have been coming from, off the top of my head. No big
deal. I went with what I knew from his post, and my advise was correct, I
think. Usually that problem has to do with what I wrote to him.

[Chubasco]

> To me, there is insufficient information in the original post to tell what

> the problem is. A _minimal_ script exhibiting the problem would help.
>

Not much add. My program works fine without the "use bignum" statement, and
fails when
the "use bignum" statement is included. This says to me that this is an
error in the library.

> That said, general advice would be to be sure the latest versions of the
> modules involved are in use. In the case of ActivePerl, this means
> something like

The latest version of ActiveState Perl is loaded.

> Should the original poster find that the problem exists with the latest
> modules and decide to file a bug report, this minimal script should be
> included, along with the version numbers of both bignum and Math::BigInt
> (just to assure the maintainer that you _did_ use the latest), and in
> addition to the Perl version number and the OS you're using.

A bug report has been filed.