with_cache_cleared_do { some_sub_requesting_the_data; }; #### use strict; use warnings; { #--- confine flag in lexical scope my $refresh_request_flag; #--- use closures to access flag sub refresh_requested { return !! $refresh_request_flag } sub with_cache_cleared_do (&) { $refresh_request_flag = 1; my @result = shift->(); # run block $refresh_request_flag = 0; return unless defined wantarray; return wantarray ? @result : $result[0]; } } # usage: -run: with_cache_cleared_do { some block }; # -check: refresh_requested() #--- that's it - now the tests ... use Test::Simple tests => 6; ok( ! refresh_requested() , 'before: flag is cleared' ); with_cache_cleared_do { ok( refresh_requested() , 'flag set within block' ); }; ok( ! refresh_requested() , 'after: flag is cleared again' ); sub nested { ok( ( $_[0] == 42 and refresh_requested() ), 'flag set within nested calls with parameters') } with_cache_cleared_do { nested( 42 ) }; my $x = with_cache_cleared_do { return 'foo'; }; ok ( $x eq 'foo' , 'result in scalar context' ); my @x = with_cache_cleared_do { return ( 'one', refresh_requested() ); }; ok( ( $x[0] eq 'one' and $x[1] == 1 ) , 'result in list context' );