CGI::Application::PlugUserCContributed)CGI::Application::Plugin::ConfigAuto(3)NAMECGI::Application::Plugin::ConfigAuto - Easy config file management for
CGI::Application
SYNOPSIS
use CGI::Application::Plugin::ConfigAuto (qw/cfg/);
In your instance script:
my $app = WebApp->new(PARAMS => { cfg_file => 'config.pl' });
$app->run();
In your application module:
sub my_run_mode {
my $self = shift;
# Access a config hash key directly
$self->cfg('field');
# Return config as hash
%CFG = $self->cfg;
}
DESCRIPTIONCGI::Application::Plugin::ConfigAuto adds easy access to config file
variables to your CGI::Application modules. Lazy loading is used to
prevent the config file from being parsed if no configuration variables
are accessed during the request. In other words, the config file is
not parsed until it is actually needed. The Config::Auto package
provides the framework for this plugin.
RATIONALE
"CGI::Application" promotes re-usable applications by moving a maximal
amount of code into modules. For an application to be fully re-usable
without code changes, it is also necessary to store configuration
variables in a separate file.
This plugin supports multiple config files for a single application,
allowing config files to override each other in a particular order.
This covers even complex cases, where you have a global config file,
and second local config file which overrides a few variables.
It is recommended that you to declare your config file locations in the
instance scripts, where it will have minimum impact on your
application. This technique is ideal when you intend to reuse your
module to support multiple configuration files. If you have an
application with multiple instance scripts which share a single config
file, you may prefer to call the plugin from the setup() method.
DECLARING CONFIG FILE LOCATIONS
# In your instance script
# value can also be an arrayref of config files
my $app = WebApp->new(PARAMS => { cfg_file => 'config.pl' })
# OR ...
# Pass in an array of config files, and they will be processed in order.
$app->cfg_file('../../config/config.pl');
Your config files should be referenced using the syntax example above.
Note that the key "config_files" can be used as alternative to
cfg_file.
The format is detected automatically using Config::Auto. It it known to
support the following formats: colon separated, space separated, equals
separated, XML, Perl code, and Windows INI. See that modules
documentation for complete details.
METHODScfg()
# Access a config hash key directly
$self->cfg('field');
# Return config as hash
my %CFG = $self->cfg;
# return as hashref
my $cfg_href = $self->cfg;
A method to access project configuration variables. The config file is
parsed on the first call with a perl hash representation stored in
memory. Subsequent calls will use this version, rather than re-reading
the file.
In list context, it returns the configuration data as a hash. In
scalar context, it returns the configuration data as a hashref.
config()
"config()" in CGI::Application::Standard::Config is provided as an
alias to cfg() for compliance with CGI::Application::Standard::Config.
It always exported by default per the standard.
std_config()
"std_config()" in CGI::Application::Standard::Config is implemented to
comply with CGI::Application::Standard::Config. It's for developers.
Users can ignore it.
cfg_file()
# Usual
$self->cfg_file('my_config_file.pl');
# Supply the first format, guess the second
$self->cfg_file('my_config_file.pl',{ format => 'perl' } );
Supply an array of config files, and they will be processed in order.
If a hash reference if found it, will be used to supply the format for
the previous file in the array.
FILE FORMAT HINTS
Perl
Here's a simple example of my favorite config file format: Perl.
Having the "shebang" line at the top helps "Config::Auto" to identify
it as a Perl file. Also, be sure that your last statement returns a
hash reference.
#!/usr/bin/perl
my %CFG = ();
# directory path name
$CFG{DIR} = '/home/mark/www';
# website URL
$CFG{URL} = 'http://mark.stosberg.com/';
\%CFG;
SEE ALSO
CGI::Application CGI::Application::Plugin::ValidateRM
CGI::Application::Plugin::DBH CGI::Application::Standard::Config.
perl(1)AUTHOR
Mark Stosberg "mark@summersault.com"
LICENSE
Copyright (C) 2004 - 2011 Mark Stosberg "mark@summersault.com"
This library is free software. You can modify and or distribute it
under the same terms as Perl itself.
perl v5.14.12011-CGI::Application::Plugin::ConfigAuto(3)