Pod::Simple::Methody(3pm) Perl Programmers Reference Guide Pod::Simple::Methody(3pm)

# [NAME](#NAME)

Pod::Simple::Methody -- turn Pod::Simple events into method calls

# [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS)

```
 require 5;
 use strict;
 package SomePodFormatter;
 use base qw(Pod::Simple::Methody);
 sub handle_text {
   my($self, $text) = @_;
   ...
 }
 sub start_head1 {
   my($self, $attrs) = @_;
   ...
 }
 sub end_head1 {
   my($self) = @_;
   ...
 }
```

...and start\_/end_ methods for whatever other events you want to catch.

# [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION)

This class is of interest to people writing Pod formatters based on Pod::Simple.

This class (which is very small -- read the source) overrides Pod::Simple's \_handle\_element\_start, \_handle\_text, and \_handle\_element\_end methods so that parser events are turned into method calls. (Otherwise, this is a subclass of Pod::Simple and inherits all its methods.)

You can use this class as the base class for a Pod formatter/processor.

# [METHOD CALLING](#METHOD_CALLING)

When Pod::Simple sees a "=head1 Hi there", for example, it basically does this:

```
  $parser->_handle_element_start( "head1", \%attributes );
  $parser->_handle_text( "Hi there" );
  $parser->_handle_element_end( "head1" );
```

But if you subclass Pod::Simple::Methody, it will instead do this when it sees a "=head1 Hi there":

```
  $parser->start_head1( \%attributes ) if $parser->can('start_head1');
  $parser->handle_text( "Hi there" )   if $parser->can('handle_text');
  $parser->end_head1()                 if $parser->can('end_head1');
```

If Pod::Simple sends an event where the element name has a dash, period, or colon, the corresponding method name will have a underscore in its place. For example, "foo.bar:baz" becomes start\_foo\_bar\_baz and end\_foo\_bar\_baz.

See the source for Pod::Simple::Text for an example of using this class.

# [SEE ALSO](#SEE_ALSO)

Pod::Simple, Pod::Simple::Subclassing

# [SUPPORT](#SUPPORT)

Questions or discussion about POD and Pod::Simple should be sent to the pod-people@perl.org mail list. Send an empty email to pod-people-subscribe@perl.org to subscribe.

This module is managed in an open GitHub repository, <https://github.com/perl-pod/pod-simple/>. Feel free to fork and contribute, or to clone <https://github.com/perl-pod/pod-simple.git> and send patches!

Patches against Pod::Simple are welcome. Please send bug reports to <bug-pod-simple@rt.cpan.org>.

# [COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMERS](#COPYRIGHT_AND_DISCLAIMERS)

Copyright (c) 2002 Sean M. Burke.

This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but without any warranty; without even the implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

# [AUTHOR](#AUTHOR)

Pod::Simple was created by Sean M. Burke <sburke@cpan.org>. But don't bother him, he's retired.

Pod::Simple is maintained by:

- Allison Randal "allison@perl.org"
- Hans Dieter Pearcey "hdp@cpan.org"
- David E. Wheeler "dwheeler@cpan.org"

2026-10-26 perl v5.44.0

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Document: Pod::Simple::Methody(3pm) from perl 5.44.0-r3 (Chainguard OS)
Source: https://github.com/Perl/perl5.git