<!-- GENERATED by docs/sphinx/bin/20-reference (p5) from reference/bundled/File/stat.md. Do not edit. -->

```{index} single: File::stat
```

# File::stat

by-name interface to Perl's built-in stat() functions

## SYNOPSIS

```perl
use File::stat;
my $st = stat($file) or die "No $file: $!";
if ( ($st->mode & 0111) && ($st->nlink > 1) ) {
    print "$file is executable with lotsa links\n";
}

if ( -x $st ) {
    print "$file is executable\n";
}

use Fcntl "S_IRUSR";
if ( $st->cando(S_IRUSR, 1) ) {
    print "My effective uid can read $file\n";
}

use File::stat qw(:FIELDS);
stat($file) or die "No $file: $!";
if ( ($st_mode & 0111) && ($st_nlink > 1) ) {
    print "$file is executable with lotsa links\n";
}
```

## DESCRIPTION

This module's default exports override the core stat()
and lstat() functions, replacing them with versions that return
"File::stat" objects.  This object has methods that
return the similarly named structure field name from the
[stat(2)](http://man.he.net/man2/stat) function; namely,
dev,
ino,
mode,
nlink,
uid,
gid,
rdev,
size,
atime,
mtime,
ctime,
blksize,
and
blocks.

As of version 1.02 (provided with perl 5.12) the object provides `"-X"`
overloading, so you can call filetest operators (`-f`, `-x`, and so
on) on it. It also provides a `->cando` method, called like

```perl
$st->cando( ACCESS, EFFECTIVE )
```

where _ACCESS_ is one of `S_IRUSR`, `S_IWUSR` or `S_IXUSR` from the
[Fcntl](../Fcntl.md) module, and _EFFECTIVE_ indicates whether to use
effective (true) or real (false) ids. The method interprets the `mode`,
`uid` and `gid` fields, and returns whether or not the current process
would be allowed the specified access.

If you don't want to use the objects, you may import the `->cando`
method into your namespace as a regular function called `stat_cando`.
This takes an arrayref containing the return values of `stat` or
`lstat` as its first argument, and interprets it for you.

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 stat() and lstat() functions.)  Access these fields as
variables named with a preceding `st_` in front their method names.
Thus, `$stat_obj->dev()` corresponds to $st\_dev if you import
the fields.

To access this functionality without the core overrides, pass the `use`
an empty import list, and then access functions with their full qualified
names:

```perl
use File::stat ();
my $st = File::stat::stat($file);
```

On the other hand, the built-ins are still available via the `CORE::`
pseudo-package even if you let File::stat override them:

```perl
use File::stat;
my ($dev, $ino, $mode) = CORE::stat($file);
```

As of version 1.15 (provided with perl 5.44) `stat` and `lstat` can be
called without arguments, in which case `$_` is used (just like the
built-in `stat`/`lstat` functions):

```perl
my $st_1 = stat;   # stat($_)
my $st_2 = lstat;  # lstat($_)
```

## BUGS

The built-in `stat` and `lstat` functions recognize the special
filehandle `_` (underscore) to indicate that no actual `stat` be done;
instead the results of the last `stat` or `lstat` or filetest operation
should be returned.  This syntax does not work with File::stat, but the
same result can be achieved by passing `stat` a reference to the `*_`
typeglob:

```perl
use File::stat;
my $stat_obj = stat \*_;  # reuse results of last stat operation
```

Alternatively, another workaround is to explicitly populate the object
using the unexported and undocumented populate() function with
CORE::stat():

```perl
my $stat_obj = File::stat::populate(CORE::stat(_));
```

## ERRORS

- -%s is not implemented on a File::stat object

    The filetest operators `-t`, `-T` and `-B` are not implemented, as
    they require more information than just a stat buffer.

## WARNINGS

These can all be disabled with

```perl
no warnings "File::stat";
```

- File::stat ignores use filetest 'access'

    You have tried to use one of the `-rwxRWX` filetests with `use
    filetest 'access'` in effect. `File::stat` will ignore the pragma, and
    just use the information in the `mode` member as usual.

- File::stat ignores VMS ACLs

    VMS systems have a permissions structure that cannot be completely
    represented in a stat buffer, and unlike on other systems the builtin
    filetest operators respect this. The `File::stat` overloads, however,
    do not, since the information required is not available.

## NOTE

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

## AUTHOR

Tom Christiansen