In Perl, how can I concisely check if a $variable is defined and contains a non zero length string?

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I currently use the following Perl to check if a variable is defined and contains text. I have to check defined first to avoid an 'uninitialized value' warning:

if (defined $name && length $name > 0) {
    # do something with $name
}

Is there a better (presumably more concise) way to write this?

perl string
9 Answers

The excellent library Type::Tiny provides an framework with which to build type-checking into your Perl code. What I show here is only the thinnest tip of the iceberg and is using Type::Tiny in the most simplistic and manual way.

Be sure to check out the Type::Tiny::Manual for more information.

use Types::Common::String qw< NonEmptyStr >;

if ( NonEmptyStr->check($name) ) {
    # Do something here.
}

NonEmptyStr->($name);  # Throw an exception if validation fails
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