User::grent - by-name interface to Perl's built-in getgr*() functions

Tom Christiansen perl v5.40.1 2025-07-27 User::grent(3perl)

This module's default exports override the core getgrent(), getgrgid(), and getgrnam() functions, replacing them with versions that return "User::grent" objects. This object has methods that return the similarly named structure field name from the C's passwd structure from grp.h; namely name, passwd, gid, and members (not mem). The first three return scalars, the last an array reference. You may also import all the structure fields directly into your namespace as regular variables using the :FIELDS import tag. (Note that this still overrides your core functions.) Access these fields as variables named with a preceding "gr_". Thus, "$group_obj->gid()" corresponds to $gr_gid if you import the fields. Array references are available as regular array variables, so "@{ $group_obj->members() }" would be simply @gr_members. The getgr() function is a simple front-end that forwards a numeric argument to getgrgid() and the rest to getgrnam(). To access this functionality without the core overrides, pass the "use" an empty import list, and then access function functions with their full qualified names. On the other hand, the built-ins are still available via the "CORE::" pseudo-package.

User::grent - by-name interface to Perl's built-in getgr*() functions

While this class is currently implemented using the Class::Struct module to build a struct-like class, you shouldn't rely upon this.

use User::grent; my $gr = getgrgid(0) or die "No group zero"; if ( $gr->name eq 'wheel' && @{$gr->members} > 1 ) { print "gid zero name wheel, with other members"; } use User::grent qw(:FIELDS); getgrgid(0) or die "No group zero"; if ( $gr_name eq 'wheel' && @gr_members > 1 ) { print "gid zero name wheel, with other members"; } my $gr = getgr($whoever);