User::Identity::Archive::Plain - phpMan

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/