Evented::Configuration
Evented::Configuration is an event-driven objective configuration class and parser for Perl software built upon Evented::Object.
Features
-
Blocks: Evented::Configuration's configuration is block-styled, with all keys and values associated with a block. Blocks can be "named," meaning there are several blocks of one type with different names, or they can be "unnamed," meaning there is only one block of that type.
-
Objective: Evented::Configuration's objective interface allows you to store nothing more than the configuration object. Then, make the object accessible where you need it.
-
Event-driven: Evented::Configuration is based upon the Evented::Object framework, firing events each time a configuration changes. This allows software to respond immediately to changes of user settings, etc.
-
Convenience: Most configuration parsers spit out nothing more than a hash reference of keys and values. Evented::Configuration instead supplies several convenient methods for fetching configuration data.
Format
# Comments
# Hello, I am a comment.
# I am also a comment.
# Unnamed blocks
[ someBlock ]
someKey = "some string"
otherKey = 12
another = ['hello', 'there']
evenMore = ['a'..'z']
# Named blocks
[ cookies: sugar ]
favorites = ['sugar cookie', 'snickerdoodle']
[ cookies: chocolate ]
favorites = ['chocolate macadamia nut', 'chocolate chip']
Methods
Evented::Configuration provides several convenient methods for fetching configuration values.
Evented::Configuration->new(%options)
Creates a new instance of Evented::Configuration.
my $conf = Evented::Configuration->new(conffile => 'etc/some.conf');
Parameters
- options: a hash of constructor options.
%options - constructor options
- conffile: file location of a configuration file.
- hashref: optional, a hash ref to store configuration values in.
$conf->parse_config()
Parses the configuration file. Used also to rehash configuration.
$conf->parse_config();
$conf->get($block, $key)
Fetches a single configuration value.
my $value = $conf->get('unnamedBlock', 'someKey');
my $other = $conf->get(['blockType', 'namedBlock'], 'someKey');
Parameters
- block: for unnamed blocks, should be the string block type. for named blocks, should be an array reference in the form of
[block type, block name]
. - key: the key of the configuration value being fetched.
$conf->names_of_block($block_type)
Returns an array of the names of all blocks of the specified type.
foreach my $block_name ($conf->names_of_block('cookies')) {
print "name of this cookie block: $block_name\n";
}
Parameters
- block_type: the type of the named block.
$conf->keys_of_block($block)
Returns an array of all the keys in the specified block.
foreach my $key ($conf->keys_of_block('someUnnamedBlock')) {
print "someUnnamedBlock unnamed block has key: $key\n";
}
foreach my $key ($conf->keys_of_block('someNamedBlock', 'someName')) {
print "someNamedBlock:someName named block has key: $key\n";
}
Parameters
- block: for unnamed blocks, should be the string block type. for named blocks, should be an array reference in the form of
[block type, block name]
.
$conf->on_change($block, $key, $code, %opts)
Attaches an event listener for the configuration change event. This event will be fired
even if the value never existed. If you want a listener to be called the first time the
configuration is parsed, simply add the listener before calling ->parse_config()
.
Otherwise, add listeners later.
# an example with an unnamed block
$conf->on_change('myUnnamedBlock', 'myKey', sub {
my ($event, $old, $new) = @_;
...
});
# an example with a name block.
$conf->on_change(['myNamedBlockType', 'myBlockName'], 'someKey', sub {
my ($event, $old, $new) = @_;
...
});
# an example with an unnamed block and ->register_event() options.
$conf->on_change('myUnnamedBlock', 'myKey', sub {
my ($event, $old, $new) = @_;
...
}, priority => 100, name => 'myCallback');
Parameters
- block: for unnamed blocks, should be the string block type. for named blocks, should be an array reference in the form of
[block type, block name]
. - key: the key of the configuration value being listened for.
- code: a code reference to be called when the value is changed.
- opts: optional, a hash of any other options to be passed to Evented::Object's
->register_event()
.
Events
Evented::Configuration fires events when configuration values are changed.
In any case, events are fired with arguments (old value, new value)
.
Say you have an unnamed block of type myBlock
. If you changed the key myKey
in myBlock
, Evented::Configuration would fire the event eventedConfiguration.change:myBlock:myKey
.
Now assume you have a named block of type myBlock
with name myName
. If you changed the key myKey
in myBlock:myName
, Evented::Configuration would fire event eventedConfiguration.change:myBlock/myName:myKey
.
However, it is recommended that you use the ->on_change()
method rather than directly attaching event callbacks. This will insure compatibility for later versions that could possibly change the way events are fired.
History
The Evented::Configuration parser first appeared procedurally in juno-ircd version 2. The format has not changed since. The parser was used in several other IRC softwares, including foxy-java IRC bot and ntirc IRC client. It was also included in all versions of juno-ircd succeeding juno2: juno3, juno-mesh, and juno5. In the Arinity IRC services package, the parser had a basic objective interface. However, Evented::Configuration was not based on this interface. Evented::Configuration appeared initially in UICd, the Universal Internet Chat server daemon.
See also
- Evented::Object - an event framework and the base class of Evented::Configuration.
- Evented::Database - a database built upon Evented::Configuration with seamless database functionality added to a configuration class.