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```{index} single: IO::Pipe
```

# IO::Pipe

supply object methods for pipes

## SYNOPSIS

```perl
use IO::Pipe;

$pipe = IO::Pipe->new();

if($pid = fork()) { # Parent
    $pipe->reader();

    while(<$pipe>) {
        ...
    }

}
elsif(defined $pid) { # Child
    $pipe->writer();

    print $pipe ...
}

or

$pipe = IO::Pipe->new();

$pipe->reader(qw(ls -l));

while(<$pipe>) {
    ...
}
```

## DESCRIPTION

`IO::Pipe` provides an interface to creating pipes between
processes.

## CONSTRUCTOR

- new ( \[READER, WRITER\] )

    Creates an `IO::Pipe`, which is a reference to a newly created symbol
    (see the [Symbol](../Symbol.md) package). `IO::Pipe::new` optionally takes two
    arguments, which should be objects blessed into `IO::Handle`, or a
    subclass thereof. These two objects will be used for the system call
    to `pipe`. If no arguments are given then method `handles` is called
    on the new `IO::Pipe` object.

    These two handles are held in the array part of the GLOB until either
    `reader` or `writer` is called.

## METHODS

- reader (\[ARGS\])

    The object is re-blessed into a sub-class of `IO::Handle`, and becomes a
    handle at the reading end of the pipe. If `ARGS` are given then `fork`
    is called and `ARGS` are passed to exec.

- writer (\[ARGS\])

    The object is re-blessed into a sub-class of `IO::Handle`, and becomes a
    handle at the writing end of the pipe. If `ARGS` are given then `fork`
    is called and `ARGS` are passed to exec.

- handles ()

    This method is called during construction by `IO::Pipe::new`
    on the newly created `IO::Pipe` object. It returns an array of two objects
    blessed into `IO::Pipe::End`, or a subclass thereof.

## SEE ALSO

[IO::Handle](Handle.md)

## AUTHOR

Graham Barr. Currently maintained by the Perl Porters.  Please report all
bugs at [https://github.com/Perl/perl5/issues](https://github.com/Perl/perl5/issues).

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright (c) 1996-8 Graham Barr <gbarr@pobox.com>. All rights reserved.
This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.