1NAME
2 Config::Any - Load configuration from different file formats,
3 transparently
4
5SYNOPSIS
6 use Config::Any;
7
8 my $cfg = Config::Any->load_stems({stems => \@filepath_stems, ... });
9 # or
10 my $cfg = Config::Any->load_files({files => \@filepaths, ... });
11
12 for (@$cfg) {
13 my ($filename, $config) = %$_;
14 $class->config($config);
15 warn "loaded config from file: $filename";
16 }
17
18DESCRIPTION
19 Config::Any provides a facility for Perl applications and libraries to
20 load configuration data from multiple different file formats. It
21 supports XML, YAML, JSON, Apache-style configuration, Windows INI files,
22 and even Perl code.
23
24 The rationale for this module is as follows: Perl programs are deployed
25 on many different platforms and integrated with many different systems.
26 Systems administrators and end users may prefer different configuration
27 formats than the developers. The flexibility inherent in a multiple
28 format configuration loader allows different users to make different
29 choices, without generating extra work for the developers. As a
30 developer you only need to learn a single interface to be able to use
31 the power of different configuration formats.
32
33INTERFACE
34 load_files( \%args )
35 Config::Any->load_files( { files => \@files } );
36 Config::Any->load_files( { files => \@files, filter => \&filter } );
37 Config::Any->load_files( { files => \@files, use_ext => 1 } );
38 Config::Any->load_files( { files => \@files, flatten_to_hash => 1 } );
39
40 "load_files()" attempts to load configuration from the list of files
41 passed in the "files" parameter, if the file exists.
42
43 If the "filter" parameter is set, it is used as a callback to modify the
44 configuration data before it is returned. It will be passed a single
45 hash-reference parameter which it should modify in-place.
46
47 If the "use_ext" parameter is defined, the loader will attempt to parse
48 the file extension from each filename and will skip the file unless it
49 matches a standard extension for the loading plugins. Only plugins whose
50 standard extensions match the file extension will be used. For
51 efficiency reasons, its use is encouraged, but be aware that you will
52 lose flexibility -- for example, a file called "myapp.cfg" containing
53 YAML data will not be offered to the YAML plugin, whereas "myapp.yml" or
54 "myapp.yaml" would be.
55
56 When the "flatten_to_hash" parameter is defined, the loader will return
57 a hash keyed on the file names, as opposed to the usual list of
58 single-key hashes.
59
60 "load_files()" also supports a 'force_plugins' parameter, whose value
61 should be an arrayref of plugin names like "Config::Any::INI". Its
62 intended use is to allow the use of a non-standard file extension while
63 forcing it to be offered to a particular parser. It is not compatible
64 with 'use_ext'.
65
66 You can supply a "driver_args" hashref to pass special options to a
67 particular parser object. Example:
68
69 Config::Any->load_files( { files => \@files, driver_args => {
70 General => { -LowerCaseNames => 1 }
71 } )
72
73 load_stems( \%args )
74 Config::Any->load_stems( { stems => \@stems } );
75 Config::Any->load_stems( { stems => \@stems, filter => \&filter } );
76 Config::Any->load_stems( { stems => \@stems, use_ext => 1 } );
77 Config::Any->load_stems( { stems => \@stems, flatten_to_hash => 1 } );
78
79 "load_stems()" attempts to load configuration from a list of files which
80 it generates by combining the filename stems list passed in the "stems"
81 parameter with the potential filename extensions from each loader, which
82 you can check with the "extensions()" classmethod described below. Once
83 this list of possible filenames is built it is treated exactly as in
84 "load_files()" above, as which it takes the same parameters. Please read
85 the "load_files()" documentation before using this method.
86
87 finder( )
88 The "finder()" classmethod returns the Module::Pluggable::Object object
89 which is used to load the plugins. See the documentation for that module
90 for more information.
91
92 plugins( )
93 The "plugins()" classmethod returns the names of configuration loading
94 plugins as found by Module::Pluggable::Object.
95
96 extensions( )
97 The "extensions()" classmethod returns the possible file extensions
98 which can be loaded by "load_stems()" and "load_files()". This may be
99 useful if you set the "use_ext" parameter to those methods.
100
101DIAGNOSTICS
102 "No files specified!" or "No stems specified!"
103 The "load_files()" and "load_stems()" methods will issue this
104 warning if called with an empty list of files/stems to load.
105
106 "_load requires a arrayref of file paths"
107 This fatal error will be thrown by the internal "_load" method. It
108 should not occur but is specified here for completeness. If your
109 code dies with this error, please email a failing test case to the
110 authors below.
111
112CONFIGURATION AND ENVIRONMENT
113 Config::Any requires no configuration files or environment variables.
114
115DEPENDENCIES
116 Module::Pluggable::Object
117
118 And at least one of the following: Config::General Config::Tiny JSON
119 YAML JSON::Syck YAML::Syck XML::Simple
120
121INCOMPATIBILITIES
122 None reported.
123
124BUGS AND LIMITATIONS
125 No bugs have been reported.
126
127 Please report any bugs or feature requests to
128 "bug-config-any@rt.cpan.org", or through the web interface at
129 <https://rt.cpan.org/Public/Dist/Display.html?Name=Config-Any>.
130
131AUTHOR
132 Joel Bernstein <rataxis@cpan.org>
133
134CONTRIBUTORS
135 This module was based on the original Catalyst::Plugin::ConfigLoader
136 module by Brian Cassidy "<bricas@cpan.org>".
137
138 With ideas and support from Matt S Trout "<mst@shadowcatsystems.co.uk>".
139
140 Further enhancements suggested by Evan Kaufman "<evank@cpan.org>".
141
142LICENCE AND COPYRIGHT
143 Copyright (c) 2006, Portugal Telecom "http://www.sapo.pt/". All rights
144 reserved. Portions copyright 2007, Joel Bernstein "<rataxis@cpan.org>".
145
146 This module is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
147 under the same terms as Perl itself. See perlartistic.
148
149DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY
150 BECAUSE THIS SOFTWARE IS LICENSED FREE OF CHARGE, THERE IS NO WARRANTY
151 FOR THE SOFTWARE, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. EXCEPT WHEN
152 OTHERWISE STATED IN WRITING THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND/OR OTHER PARTIES
153 PROVIDE THE SOFTWARE "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER
154 EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED
155 WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE
156 ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE IS WITH
157 YOU. SHOULD THE SOFTWARE PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL
158 NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR, OR CORRECTION.
159
160 IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW OR AGREED TO IN WRITING
161 WILL ANY COPYRIGHT HOLDER, OR ANY OTHER PARTY WHO MAY MODIFY AND/OR
162 REDISTRIBUTE THE SOFTWARE AS PERMITTED BY THE ABOVE LICENCE, BE LIABLE
163 TO YOU FOR DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR
164 CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE
165 SOFTWARE (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF DATA OR DATA BEING
166 RENDERED INACCURATE OR LOSSES SUSTAINED BY YOU OR THIRD PARTIES OR A
167 FAILURE OF THE SOFTWARE TO OPERATE WITH ANY OTHER SOFTWARE), EVEN IF
168 SUCH HOLDER OR OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
169 DAMAGES.
170
171SEE ALSO
172 Catalyst::Plugin::ConfigLoader -- now a wrapper around this module.
173
174