---
name: caller
status: documented
runtime: pp
source: src/runtime/pp/helpers.rs
---
```{index} single: caller; Perl built-in (pp runtime)
```

# caller

## Synopsis

```perl
my $package = caller;                  # scalar: package name
my ($pkg, $file, $line) = caller;      # list: basic triple
my ($pkg, $file, $line, $sub, ...) = caller(0);
my @info = caller(1);                  # caller's caller
```

## Description

Returns information about the calling subroutine's context.

In **scalar context**, returns the package name of the calling
subroutine.  In **list context**, returns a multi-element list
with (at minimum) package, filename, and line number.  When called
with a numeric argument N, returns information about the Nth stack
frame above the current subroutine:

| Index | Field          |
|-------|----------------|
| 0     | package name   |
| 1     | filename       |
| 2     | line number    |
| 3     | subroutine     |
| 4     | hasargs        |
| 5     | wantarray      |

Returns `undef` (scalar) or an empty list if the requested stack
depth exceeds the actual call depth.  `caller(0)` returns info
from `call_stack.last()` (the current sub's frame); `caller(1)`
looks one frame further up.

When the op has `WANT` bits set to 0 (unknown), the context is
inherited from the enclosing call frame, matching perl5 behavior.

## See also

die, warn, caller