phpman > perldoc > User::Identity::Archive::Plain(3pm)

NAME
    User::Identity::Archive::Plain - simple, plain text archiver

INHERITANCE
     User::Identity::Archive::Plain
       is a User::Identity::Archive
       is a User::Identity::Item

SYNOPSIS
     use User::Identity::Archive::Plain;
     my $friends = User::Identity::Archive::Plain->new('friends');
     $friends->from(\*FH);
     $friends->from('.friends');

DESCRIPTION
    This archiver, which extends User::Identity::Archive, uses a very simple plain text file to
    store the information of users. The syntax is described in the DETAILS section, below.

    Extends "DESCRIPTION" in User::Identity::Archive.

OVERLOADED
    Extends "OVERLOADED" in User::Identity::Archive.

METHODS
    Extends "METHODS" in User::Identity::Archive.

  Constructors
    Extends "Constructors" in User::Identity::Archive.

    User::Identity::Archive::Plain->new( [$name], %options )
         -Option       --Defined in             --Default
          abbreviations                           []
          description    User::Identity::Item     undef
          from           User::Identity::Archive  undef
          name           User::Identity::Item     <required>
          only                                    []
          parent         User::Identity::Item     undef
          tabstop                                 8

        abbreviations => HASH|ARRAY
          Adds a set of abbreviations for collections to the syntax of the plain text archiver. See
          section "Simplified class names" for a list of predefined names.

        description => STRING
        from => FILEHANDLE|FILENAME
        name => STRING
        only => ARRAY|ABBREV
          Lists the only information (as (list of) abbreviations) which should be read. Other
          information is removed before even checking whether it is a valid abbreviation or not.

        parent => OBJECT
        tabstop => INTEGER
          Sets the default tab-stop width.

  Attributes
    Extends "Attributes" in User::Identity::Archive.

    $obj->abbreviation( $name, [$class] )
        Returns the class which is capable of storing information which is grouped as $name. With
        $class argument, you add (or overrule) the definitions of an abbreviation. The $class is
        automatically loaded.

        If $class is "undef", then the abbreviation is deleted. The class name which is deleted is
        returned.

    $obj->abbreviations()
        Returns a sorted list of all names which are known as abbreviations.

    $obj->defaultTabStop( [$integer] )
        Returns the width of a tab, optionally after setting it. This must be the same as set in
        your editor.

    $obj->description()
        Inherited, see "Attributes" in User::Identity::Item

    $obj->name( [$newname] )
        Inherited, see "Attributes" in User::Identity::Item

  Collections
    Extends "Collections" in User::Identity::Archive.

    $obj->add($collection, $role)
        Inherited, see "Collections" in User::Identity::Item

    $obj->addCollection( $object | <[$type], %options> )
        Inherited, see "Collections" in User::Identity::Item

    $obj->collection($name)
        Inherited, see "Collections" in User::Identity::Item

    $obj->parent( [$parent] )
        Inherited, see "Collections" in User::Identity::Item

    $obj->removeCollection($object|$name)
        Inherited, see "Collections" in User::Identity::Item

    $obj->type()
    User::Identity::Archive::Plain->type()
        Inherited, see "Collections" in User::Identity::Item

    $obj->user()
        Inherited, see "Collections" in User::Identity::Item

  Searching
    Extends "Searching" in User::Identity::Archive.

    $obj->find($collection, $role)
        Inherited, see "Searching" in User::Identity::Item

  Access to the archive
    Extends "Access to the archive" in User::Identity::Archive.

    $obj->from( <$fh|$filename|ARRAY>, %options )
        Read the plain text information from the specified $fh, $filename, STRING, or ARRAY of
        lines.

         -Option --Default
          tabstop  <default from object>
          verbose  0

        tabstop => INTEGER
        verbose => INTEGER

DETAILS
  The Plain Archiver Format
   Simplified class names
    It is too much work to specify full class named on each spot where you want to create a new
    object with data. Therefore, abbreviations are introduced. Use new(abbreviations) or
    abbreviations() to add extra abbreviations or to overrule some predefined.

    Predefined names: user User::Identity email Mail::Identity location User::Identity::Location
    system User::Identity::System list User::Identity::Collection::Emails

    It would have been nicer to refer to a *person* in stead of a *user*, however that would add to
    the confusion with the name-space.

   Indentation says all
    The syntax is as simple as possible. An extra indentation on a line means that the variable or
    class is a collection within the class on the line before.

     user markov
       location home
          country NL
       email home
          address  mark AT overmeer.net
          location home
       email work
          address  solutions AT overmeer.bet

     email tux
        address tux AT fish.net

    The above defines two items: one User::Identity named "markov", and an e-mail address "tux". The
    user has two collections: one contains a single location, and one stores two e-mail addresses.

    To add to the confusion: the "location" is defined as field in "email" and as collection. The
    difference is easily detected: if there are indented fields following the line it is a
    collection. Mistakes will in most cases result in an error message.

   Long lines
    If you want to continue on the next line, because your content is too large, then add a
    backslash to the end, like this:

     email home
        description This is my home address,     \
                    But I sometimes use this for \
                    work as well
        address tux AT fish.aq

    Continuations do not play the game of indentation, so what you also can do is:

     email home
        description               \
     This is my home address,     \
     But I sometimes use this for \
     work as well
        address tux AT fish.aq

    The fields "comment" and "address" must be correctly indented. The line terminations are lost,
    which is useful for most fields. However, if you need them, you have to check the description of
    the applicable field.

   Comments
    You may add comments and white spaces. Comments start with a '#' as first non-blank character on
    the line. Comments are not allowed on the same line as real data, as some languages (like Perl)
    permit.

    You can insert comments and blank lines on all places where you need them:

     user markov

        # my home address
        email home

           # useless comment statement
           address tux AT fish.aq
           location #mind_the_hash

    is equivalent to:

     user markov
        email home
           address tux AT fish.aq
           location #mind_the_hash

   References
    Often you will have the need to add the same information to two items, for instance, multiple
    people share the same address. In this case, you can create a reference. However, this is only
    permitted for whole items: you can refer to someone's location, but not to the person's street.

    To create a reference to an item of someone else, use

     user markov
        location home = user(cleo).location(home)
        location work
           organization   MARKOV Solutions

   Configuration parameters
    You can add some configuration lines as well. On the moment, the only one defined is

     tabstop = 4

    which can be used to change the meaning of tabs in the file. The default setting is 8, but some
    people prefer 4 (or other values).

DIAGNOSTICS
    Error: $object is not a collection.
        The first argument is an object, but not of a class which extends
        User::Identity::Collection.

    Error: Cannot load collection module for $type ($class).
        Either the specified $type does not exist, or that module named $class returns compilation
        errors. If the type as specified in the warning is not the name of a package, you specified
        a nickname which was not defined. Maybe you forgot the 'require' the package which defines
        the nickname.

    Warning: Cannot read archive from $source
    Error: Creation of a collection via $class failed.
        The $class did compile, but it was not possible to create an object of that class using the
        options you specified.

    Error: Don't know what type of collection you want to add.
        If you add a collection, it must either by a collection object or a list of options which
        can be used to create a collection object. In the latter case, the type of collection must
        be specified.

    Warning: No collection $name
        The collection with $name does not exist and can not be created.

SEE ALSO
    This module is part of User-Identity distribution version 1.01, built on February 11, 2022.
    Website: http://perl.overmeer.net/CPAN/

LICENSE
    Copyrights 2003-2022 by [Mark Overmeer <markov AT cpan.org>]. For other contributors see ChangeLog.

    This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as
    Perl itself. See http://dev.perl.org/licenses/