The RPC::XML::Function is a class that derives from RPC::XML::Procedure
(see RPC::XML::Procedure), while bypassing all the signature-specific logic
associated with server-side methods in the RPC::XML suite.
By doing this, the encapsulated code becomes responsible for how the server
(and ultimately, the client) interprets returned values. For the classes that
adhere to signatures, the signature includes the expected type of the returned
value. If an object of this class anticipates that the data may be ambiguous
(an intended string being interpreted as an integer, for example), the code
it encapsulates should consider encoding the response with the data-classes
documented in RPC::XML prior to return.
USAGE
Only those routines different from RPC::XML::Procedure are listed:
new(LIST)
The constructor for this class is identical to the super-class versions,
except that it disregards any "signature" keys on the input list. The
return value upon success is a newly-blessed object reference, otherwise
an error message is returned.
signature
Returns "undef" only.
clone
Acts as the parent "clone" method, save that in the absence of any signature
data, the clone is in fact a perfect copy of the original.
is_valid
Uses the same validity test, minus the checking of signature data (tests only
for valid "name" and "code" keys).
match_signature
Always returns the string, "scalar".
DIAGNOSTICS
Unless otherwises specified, routines return the object reference itself upon
a successful operation, and an error string (which is not a blessed reference)
upon error.