Sorry
	This document is outdated.
	It discusses things in POE::Stage prior to the draft specification.
	It will be updated after the specificatin's reasonably complete.
Title
	POE::Stage
	Message-Based Continuations
	Rocco Caputo
	http://thirdlobe.com/projects/poe-stage/
Continuations
	"... a sort of super-closure, one that remembers all the lexicals that were in scope when it was created, as well as remembering the call sequence you took to get there."  -- Dan Sugalski
Continuations Encapsulate Call
	Specify where to resume on return.
	Remember lexical state, so it can be restored on return.
	Are passed to subroutines as just another parameter.
Continuations Implement Return
	Caller's execution resumes.
	Caller's lexical state is restored.
	Caller may receive some result from the returning method.
POE::Request Encapsulates Call
	Defines where to resume on return.
	Remembers lexical state, so it can be restored on return.
	Is passed as a message to another object.
POE::Response Implements Return
	Implicitly created when an inbound POE::Request is invoked.
		|$inbound_request->return( ... );
	Resumes caller's execution.
	Caller's lexical state is restored.
	May include results of a Stage's work.
POE::Request Example
	|my $outbound_request = POE::Request->new(
	|   stage      => $target_stage_object,
	|   method     => $target_method_name,
	|   args       => \%maybe_some_parameters,
	|   on_success => \&resume_here_on_success,
	|   on_failure => \&or_here_on_failure,
	|);
POE::Response Return
	|$inbound_request->return(
	|   type => "success",  # could be "failure"
	|   args => \%maybe_some_return_values,
	|);
Typed Responses
	Responses are typed.
	Requests map response types to handlers.
	Called Stages define an interface.
	Callers use the interface.
	Eliminates need for inside information.
	Decouples Stages.
	Permits dynamic flow control.
Call Stacks
	Limited to serial call/return.
	Execution returns in order of call (LIFO).
	one calls two
		two calls three
			three calls four
				four returns to three
			three returns to two
		two returns to one

Call Trees
	Serial or parallel call/return.
	Parallel returns occur in order of completion.
	method 1 calls method 2
	method 1 calls method 2 (again)
		method 2a calls method 3a
		method 2b calls method 3b
			method 3b returns to method 2b
		method 2b returns to method 1
			method 3a returns to method 2a
		method 2a returns to method 1
Call Cancelation
	Requests can be canceled before they return.
	Sometimes you don't want to wait.
		|my $outbound_request = POE::Request->new( ... );
		|# ... later on:
		|$outbound_request->cancel();
Cancelation Effects
	Prunes the call tree rooted at the canceled request.
	Sub-requests (if any) canceled too.
	Their remembered lexical states are destroyed.
	Resources stored in those lexicals automatically freed.
	Perl (not POE) GC rules apply here.
Non-Final Returns
	Returns don't have to be final.
	Returns happen when a response is invoked.
	Why can't a response be invoked more than once?
	They can, but the name is different.
		|# Many happy returns.
		|$inbound_request->emit( type => "happy" );
Final Returns
	return() implies request is finished.
	Implicitly triggers request destruction after delivery.
	Calling return() twice is prohibited.
	Also cannot emit() after return().
Re-calling in Same Request
	Parent can respond to emitter without a new continuation.
	Simpler than POE::Request:
		|$inbound_emit->recall(
		|   method => $target_method_name,
		|   args   => \%maybe_some_more_parameters,
		|);
		(No target stage.  Goes back to emitter.)
		(No response type mapping.  Inherited from original request.)
	emit() and recall() implement two-way dialogue.
	Can continue until return() or cancel().
Lexical States
	There can't be only one.
	Lexical pad may contain data from three or more relevant states.
	Prefixes identify different states.
	Also prevent identical member names from colliding in the pad.
	Prefixes don't affect member names.
		|$prefix_member refers to "member".
	@ and % sigils also supported.
Inbound Request State
	Temporary storage scoped to the inbound request.
	Used as scratch space for handling the request.
	Conveniently autodestructs when request is finalized.
	Prefixed by "req_"
		$req_member
		@req_member
		%req_member
Outbound Request State
	Temporary storage for data scoped to an outbound request.
	Members exposed with expose().
	Prefixes are arbitrary (but not reserved, duh).
		|my $outbound_request = POE::Request->new( ... );
		|expose $outbound_request => my $prefixed_member;
		|$prefixed_member = "spay or neuter your pets";
Inbound Response State
	Only available inside emit() or return() handlers.
	Recalls and mutates previously exposed outbound request state.
	Prefixed with "rsp_".
	|sub on_success {
	|   my $rsp_member; # "spay or neuter your pets"
	|}
Parameter State
	IM IN UR PAD INITIALIZIN UR LEXICALS (obligatory lolcats)
	So I can also stuff arguments into them.
	Prefixed with "arg_"
		$arg_thingy
		@arg_thingy
		%arg_thingy
	Refer to the "thingy" argument, i.e.:
		args => { thingy => "value" }
Call Tree Revisited
	Implemented by convention, not special code.
	Sub-requests stored in the current request.
		my $req_do_something = POE::Request->new( ... );
	When current request finishes:
		All $req_foo members destroyed.
		Implicitly triggering $req_do_something cancelation.
		Effectively pruning branch of call tree.
Activating Lexical State
	Only pertains to message handlers.
	Activate with the :Handler method attribute.
		sub resume_here_on_success :Handler { ... }
	Also implied for methods named "on_" something.
	Will be explained in a few slides.
Request Roles Are Shorthand
	Replace on_foo parameters in a request.
	|my $req_subrequest = POE::Request->new(
	|   stage   => "resolver",
	|   method  => "resolve",
	|   args    => { host => "poe.perl.org" },
	|   on_success => \&handle_address,
	|   on_failure => \&handle_error,
	|   on_timeout => \&handle_timeout,
	|);
	Bleh.
Request Roles Are Shorthand
	Replace on_foo parameters in a request.
	|my $req_subrequest = POE::Request->new(
	|   stage   => "resolver",
	|   method  => "resolve",
	|   args    => { host => "poe.perl.org" },
	|   role    => "dnslookup",
	|);
	And it scales, too.
Role-Based Response Dispatch
	Methods matching "on_" . $role . "_" . $response_type are called.
		sub on_dnslookup_success { ... }
		sub on_dnslookup_failure { ... }
		sub on_dnslookup_timeout { ... }
	TODO: on_dnslookup_autoload { ... }
	Handler attribute implied by "on_" so not needed.
Now About POE::Stage
	Standard base class for POE::Stage
	Implements about 75% of the magic
		(Rest is in POE::Request)
POE::Stage Standard Methods
	new() implemented by the base class
	on_init() initialization callback during new()
	Tried to keep it light, so the rest can be yours.
POE::Stage Exported Functions
	Oh, some more pollution.
		self() accessor to $self.  self->method()
		req() inbound request accessor:  req->return(...)
		rsp() inbound response accessor:  rsp->recall(...)
		expose() seen before
	Ok, really, that's it.
	So far.
	We'll try to be good.
Standard POE::Stage Classes
	App - The top-level application.
	The rest have unstable interfaces.
	We could use your help here.
What About POE?
	POE::Stage uses POE for lower-level services.
	POE::Watcher classes are OO versions of POE features.
	Design still in flux.
	We could use your help here, too.
POE::Watcher Classes
	OO versions of POE things.
	Follow Perl GC rules, not POE's.
	Cancel by destroying the object.
	Store in $req_ to auto-cancel if parent request finalized.
POE::Watcher::Delay
	OO version of POE::Kernel->delay() family.
	|my $req_timeout = POE::Watcher::Delay->new(
	|   seconds => 10,
	|   on_success => "handle_timeout",
	|   args => \%handle_timeout_parameters,
	|);
POE::Watcher::Input
	OO version of POE::Kernel->select_read().
	|my $req_input = POE::Watcher::Input->new(
	|   handle => $io_handle,
	|   on_input => "read_from_handle",
	|   args => \%passed_along,
	|);
POE::Watcher::Wheel
	Encapsulates POE::Wheel classes.
	|my $req_wheel = POE::Watcher::Wheel->new(
	|   wheel_class => "POE::Wheel::Run",
	|   wheel_parameters => {
	|       ...,
	|       StdoutMethod => "handle_child_stdout",
	|   }
	|);
	Wheel's "Event" parameters become "Method" in POE::Stage.
Why Doing This
	TIMTOWTDI didn't scale.
	Everybody did something different.
	Interoperability suffered.
Why Doing This
	Design Patterns Aren't.
	A lot of repeated work became apparent.
	It's time to subsume them.
Why Doing This
	Separate project for fun.
	Backward compatability not an issue.
	Can use modern Perl.
Why Doing This
	Can involve community earlier in the development process.
	More chance to avoid strange names for things. :)
What You Can Do
	Need peaple to push the design.
	Core concepts done, barring insurmountable design problems.
	Catch problems before things go too far.
What You Can Do
	Help keep things sane.
	Single mad scientest model produces monsters.
	Multiple mad scientists can check and balance.
	Or at least brainstorm over insurmountable design problems.
What You Can Do
	Develop standard libraries.
	Or at least guide their development.
	It's easier to get features designed in early than wedged in later.
What You Can Do
	Sieze a need and run with it.
	Unless that need is scissors.
	Unless they're blunt.
Questions?
	Thank you.
