NAME

Config::XMLPerl - Configuration files based in XML, where Perl data codes as XML values are enabled.

DESCRIPTION

This module enable the use of normal XML files as configuration files, but also enable Perl data codes as definition of values.

The XML also don't need to be well formatted, soo you can write by hand a wild XML file and use it normally.

USAGE

  use Config::XMLPerl qw(config_load) ;
  
  my $config = config_load("conf.xml") ;
  
  ## or: my $config = new Config::XMLPerl("conf.xml") ;
  
  my $server = $config->{server} ;
  my $port = $config->{port} ;
  
  my $db_user = $config->{DB}{user} ;
  my $db_pass = $config->{DB}{pass} ;
  my $db_host = $config->{DB}{host} ;
  
  print $config->{text} ;
  
  __DATA__
  
  <config server="domain.foo" por="80">
  

    DB => { user => "foo" , pass => "123" , host => "db.domain.foo"}

    <text>
      this is
      a text
      content
    </text>

  </config>

METHODS

config_load ( FILE|DATA|FILEHANDLE )

Loads the specified file and returns a XML::Smart object.

To see how to access a XML::Smart object see: the XML::Smart manpage

FILE|DATA|FILEHANDLE

Can be a FILE path, DATA (SCALAR) or FILEHANDLE (GLOB).

SYNTAX (XML + Perl)

The syntax of the configuration file basically is XML, but that accepts extra things.

You don't need to add the XML header:

  <?xml version="1.0">

The tags accept any non space character, soo you can have tags like:

  <.willd/> <n*/>

You don't need to use quotes for the arguments:

  <tagx arg1=123 href=http:/www arg2="quoted">

Perl

To use Perl data structure for the values you just set the values as in the content (one per line):

  <perl_code_sample foo="123" bar="456">
    hash => { user => "foo" , pass => "123" , host => "db.domain.foo"}
    list => [qw(a b c d)]
    string => "some text\n with a new line"
    time => time()
  </perl_code_sample>

Note that the keys for the values (hash,list,string,time) need to be a valid Perl word. Soo, need to match with:

  qr/^\w+[\w:\.]*$/s

The separator (=>) can be "=>", "=", "->" or ":":

  <separators>
    foo => 'like hash'
    foo -> 'like OO'
    foo: 123
    foo = 'equal'
  </separators>

** Note that a Perl code can't use more than one line, soo this syntax is wrong:

  <error>
    invalid => {
               a => 1 ,
               a => 2 ,
               }
  </error>

EXPORTING TO WELL FORMATTED XML

To export a wild XML to a well formatted XML use:

  my $config = config_load(q`
  <config server="domain.foo" port=80>
    DB => { user => "foo" , pass => 123 , host => "db.domain.foo"}
  </config>
  `) ;

  ## Save to a file:
  $config->save("ok.xml") ;
  
  ## print the file:
  print $config->data() ;

Output:

  <?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1" ?>
  <?meta name="GENERATOR" content="XML::Smart/1.5 Perl/5.006001 [MSWin32]" ?>
  <config server="domain.foo" port="80">
    <DB host="db.domain.foo" pass="123" user="foo"/>
  </config>

** See the XML::Smart manpage for complete use of save() and data.

Safe Compartment

To evaluate the Perl codes of the XML files, a the Safe manpage compartment is used, and only OP that wont change the symbol-table or make CODE call will be enabled.

Soo, basically you are only enabled to create anonymous variables.

OPCODE list:

  :base_mem

    null stub pushmark const defined undef

    preinc i_preinc predec i_predec postinc i_postinc postdec i_postdec
    int hex oct abs pow multiply i_multiply divide i_divide
    modulo i_modulo add i_add subtract i_subtract

    left_shift right_shift bit_and bit_xor bit_or negate i_negate
    not complement

    lt i_lt gt i_gt le i_le ge i_ge eq i_eq ne i_ne ncmp i_ncmp
    slt sgt sle sge seq sne scmp

    substr stringify length ord chr

    ucfirst lcfirst uc lc quotemeta trans chop schop chomp schomp

    match split

    list lslice reverse

    cond_expr flip flop andassign orassign and or xor

    lineseq scope enter leave setstate

    rv2cv

    leaveeval
  
  gvsv gv gelem

  padsv padav padhv padany

  refgen srefgen ref

  time
  sort
  pack unpack

NOTES

This module was first created for the XML config files of HPL, and was turned into a Perl Module to be published to the public independent of HPL.

SEE ALSO

the XML::Smart manpage, the Safe manpage.

AUTHOR

Graciliano M. P. <gm@virtuasites.com.br>

I will appreciate any type of feedback (include your opinions and/or suggestions). ;-P

COPYRIGHT

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