phpman > man > Data::Grove::Parent(3pm)

NAME
    Data::Grove::Parent - provide parent properties to Data::Grove objects

SYNOPSIS
     use Data::Grove::Parent;

     $root = $object->root;
     $rootpath = $object->rootpath;
     $tied = $object->add_magic([ $parent ]);

     $node = Data::Grove::Parent->new($hash [, $parent]);
     $node_list = Data::Grove::ParentList->new($array [, $parent]);

DESCRIPTION
    Data::Grove::Parent is an extension to Data::Grove that adds `"Parent"' and `"Raw"' properties
    to Data::Grove objects and methods for returning the root node of a grove, a list of nodes
    between and including the root node and the current node, and a method that creates parented
    nodes.

    Data::Grove::Parent works by creating a Perl ``tied'' object that contains a parent reference
    (`"Parent"') and a reference to the original Data::Grove object (`"Raw"'). Tying-magic is used
    so that every time you reference the Data::Grove::Parent object it actually references the
    underlying raw object.

    When you retrieve a list or a property of the Raw object, Data::Grove::Parent automatically adds
    magic to the returned list or node. This means you only call `add_magic()' once to create the
    first Data::Grove::Parent object and then use the grove objects like you normally would.

    The most obvious use of this is so you don't have to call a `"delete"' method when you want to
    release a grove or part of a grove; since Data::Grove and Data::Grove::Parent objects have no
    cyclic references, Perl can garbage collect them normally.

    A secondary use is to allow you to reuse grove or property set fragments in multiple trees.
    WARNING: Data::Grove currently does not protect you from creating your own cyclic references!
    This could lead to infinite loops if you don't take care to avoid them.

METHODS
    $object->root()
    $object->rootpath()
        `"root()"' returns the root node if `$object' is a `"Data::Grove::Parent"' object.
        `"rootpath()"' returns an array of all the nodes between and including the root node and
        `$object'.

    $tied = $object->add_magic([ $parent ])
        `"add_magic()"' returns a "Data::Grove::Parent" object with `$object' as it's `"Raw"'
        object. If `$parent' is given, that becomes the tied object's parent object.

AUTHOR
    Ken MacLeod, ken AT bitsko.us

SEE ALSO
    perl(1), Data::Grove(3)