From 71657e0a20c0f691822d9b43af6914f6a9c23212 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Richard Leach <richardleach@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Mon, 16 Dec 2024 21:56:55 +0000
Subject: [PATCH] Undefined subroutine &%s called, close to label '%s'

https://github.com/Perl/perl5/issues/17839 requested a compile-time
warning for the situation whereby a single colon is accdentally typed
as a package separator when calling a function. For example:
```
package BOOP;
sub beep;
package main;
BOOP:beep();  # Meant to be BOOP::beep();
```
However, because of both Perl's syntax and the potential to populate the
stash at runtime, this falls somewhere between very difficult and
impossible. As an alternative, some enhanced fatal error wording was
requested and this commit attempts to provide that.

The above example would previously die with the message:
```
Undefined subroutine &main::beep called at ... line 4.
```
Now it dies with the message:
```
Undefined subroutine &main::beep called, close to label 'BOOP' at ... line 4.
```

For some of the same reasons mentioned, distinguishing this typo from
other errors at runtime - such as the target subroutine not being
present at all - is also nigh on impossible. The hope is that the
error message will give some additional clue when the error is the
result of a typo, without distracting the user in all other cases.
---
 pod/perldelta.pod  | 12 ++++++++++++
 pod/perldiag.pod   | 10 ++++++++++
 pp_hot.c           |  8 ++++++++
 t/lib/croak/pp_hot |  9 +++++++++
 4 files changed, 39 insertions(+)

diff --git a/pod/perldelta.pod b/pod/perldelta.pod
index d53738408312..a74bfdbfb1d8 100644
--- a/pod/perldelta.pod
+++ b/pod/perldelta.pod
@@ -260,6 +260,18 @@ and L</New Warnings>
 
 =item *
 
+L<Undefined subroutine &%s called, close to label '%s'|perldiag/"Undefined subroutine &%s called, close to label '%s'">
+
+(F) The subroutine indicated hasn't been defined, or if it was, it has
+since been undefined.
+
+This error could also indicate a mistyped package separator, when a
+single colon was typed instead of two colons. For example, C<Foo:bar()>
+would be parsed as the label C<Foo> followed by an unqualified function
+name: C<foo: bar()>.
+
+=item *
+
 XXX L<message|perldiag/"message">
 
 =back
diff --git a/pod/perldiag.pod b/pod/perldiag.pod
index 7f981e8008ff..e3746d9f52be 100644
--- a/pod/perldiag.pod
+++ b/pod/perldiag.pod
@@ -6820,6 +6820,16 @@ Perhaps it's in a different package?  See L<perlfunc/sort>.
 (F) The subroutine indicated hasn't been defined, or if it was, it has
 since been undefined.
 
+=item Undefined subroutine &%s called, close to label '%s'
+
+(F) The subroutine indicated hasn't been defined, or if it was, it has
+since been undefined.
+
+This error could also indicate a mistyped package separator, when a
+single colon was typed instead of two colons. For example, C<Foo:bar()>
+would be parsed as the label C<Foo> followed by an unqualified function
+name: C<foo: bar()>.
+
 =item Undefined subroutine called
 
 (F) The anonymous subroutine you're trying to call hasn't been defined,
diff --git a/pp_hot.c b/pp_hot.c
index acfc5713709a..f9f260a7fe31 100644
--- a/pp_hot.c
+++ b/pp_hot.c
@@ -6228,6 +6228,14 @@ S_croak_undefined_subroutine(pTHX_ CV const *cv, GV const *gv)
         SV *sub_name = newSV_type_mortal(SVt_PV);
         gv_efullname3(sub_name, gv, NULL);
 
+        /* Heuristic to spot BOOP:boop() typo, when the intention was
+         * to call BOOP::boop(). */
+        const char * label = CopLABEL(PL_curcop);
+        if (label) {
+            croak("Undefined subroutine &%" SVf " called, close to label '%s'",
+                SVfARG(sub_name), label);
+        }
+
         croak("Undefined subroutine &%" SVf " called", SVfARG(sub_name));
     }
     NOT_REACHED; /* NOTREACHED */
diff --git a/t/lib/croak/pp_hot b/t/lib/croak/pp_hot
index bc00a484c6df..2335aff87f51 100644
--- a/t/lib/croak/pp_hot
+++ b/t/lib/croak/pp_hot
@@ -45,6 +45,15 @@ Undefined subroutine &main::foo called at - line 3.
    &$foosub;
 EXPECT
 Undefined subroutine &main::foo called at - line 2.
+########
+# NAME package separator typo, creating a label by accident
+   package BEEP;
+   sub boop;
+   package main;
+   BEEP:boop();
+EXPECT
+Undefined subroutine &main::boop called, close to label 'BEEP' at - line 4.
+
 ########
 # NAME calling undef scalar
    &{+undef};