NAME
CGI::AppBuilder - Configuration initializer
SYNOPSIS
use CGI::AppBuilder;
my $cg = CGI::AppBuilder->new('ifn', 'my_init.cfg', 'opt', 'vhS:a:');
my $ar = $cg->get_inputs;
DESCRIPTION
There are already many application builders out there. Why you need
another one? Well, if you are already familiar with CGI::Builder or
CGI::Application, this one will provide some useful methods to you to
read your configuration file and pre-process your templates. Please read
on.
new (ifn => 'file.cfg', opt => 'hvS:')
Input variables:
$ifn - input/initial file name.
$opt - options for Getopt::Std
Variables used or routines called:
None
How to use:
my $ca = new CGI::AppBuilder; # or
my $ca = CGI::AppBuilder->new; # or
my $ca = CGI::AppBuilder->new(ifn=>'file.cfg',opt=>'hvS:'); # or
my $ca = CGI::AppBuilder->new('ifn', 'file.cfg','opt','hvS:');
Return: new empty or initialized CGI::AppBuilder object.
This method constructs a Perl object and capture any parameters if
specified. It creates and defaults the following variables:
$self->{ifn} = ""
$self->{opt} = 'hvS:';
start_app ($prg,$arg,$nhh)
Input variables:
$prg - program name
$arg - array ref for arguments - %ARGV
$nhh - no html header pre-printed
1 - no HTML header is set in any circumstance
0 - HTML header will be set when it is possible
Variables used or routines called:
build_html_header - build HTML header array
Debug::EchoMessage
echoMSG - echo messages
start_log - start and write message log
CGI::Getopt
get_inputs - read input file and/or CGI form inputs
How to use:
my ($q, $ar, $ar_log) = $self->start_app($0,\@ARGV);
Return: ($q,$ar,$ar_log) where
$q - a CGI object
$ar - hash ref containing parameters from input file and/or
CGI form inputs and the following elements:
ifn - initial file name
opt - command input options
cfg - configuratoin array
html_header - HTML header parameters (hash ref)
msg - contain message hash
$ar_log - hash ref containing log information
This method performs the following tasks:
1) initial a CGI object
2) read initial file if specified or search for a default file
(the same as $prg with .ini extension) and save the file name
to $ar->{ifn}.
3) define message level
4) start HTML header and body using I<page_title> and I<page_style>
if they are defined.
5) parse CGI form inputs and combine them with parameters defined
in initial file
6) read configuration file ($prg.cfg) if it exists and save the
array to $ar->{cfg}
7) prepare log record if write log is enabled
It checks the parameters read from initial file for page_title,
page_style, page_author, page_meta, top_nav, bottom_nav, and js_src.
end_app ($q, $ar, $ar_log)
Input variables:
$q - CGI object
$ar - array ref for parameters
$ar_log - hash ref for log record
Variables used or routines called:
Debug::EchoMessage
echoMSG - echo messages
end_log - start and write message log
set_param - get a parameter from hash array
How to use:
my ($q, $ar, $ar_log) = $self->start_app($0,\@ARGV);
$self->end_app($q, $ar, $ar_log);
Return: none
This method performs the following tasks:
1) ends HTML document
2) writes log records to log files
3) close database connection if it finds DB handler in {dbh}
build_html_header ($q, $ar)
Input variables:
$q - CGI object
$ar - array ref for parameters
Variables used or routines called:
Debug::EchoMessage
echoMSG - echo messages
set_param - get a parameter from hash array
How to use:
my $ifn = 'myConfig.ini';
my ($q,$ar) = $s->get_inputs($ifn);
my $hrf = $self->build_html_header($q, $ar);
Return: hash array or array ref
This method performs the following tasks:
1) check the following parameters: page_title, page_style,
page_meta, page_author, page_target, js_src,
2) writes log records to log files
3) close database connection if it finds DB handler in {dbh}
disp_form ($q, $ar)
Input variables:
$q - CGI object
$ar - array ref for parameters
Variables used or routines called:
Debug::EchoMessage
echoMSG - echo messages
set_param - get a parameter from hash array
How to use:
my $ifn = 'myConfig.ini';
my ($q,$ar) = $s->get_inputs($ifn);
$self->disp_form($q, $ar);
Return: none
This method expects the following varialbes:
gi - GUI items
gc - GUI columns
gf - GUI form
db - database connection varialbes (optional)
vars_keep - variables separated by comma for hidden variables
This method performs the following tasks:
1) checks whether GI, GC and GF variables being defined.
2) replaces AR, DB, GI, and GC variables with their contents
3) builds GF elements
4) add hidden variables
5) print the form
HISTORY
* Version 0.10
This version is to extract out the app methods from CGI::Getopt
class. It was too much for CGI::Getopt to include the start_app,
end_app, build_html_header, and disp_form methods.
* Version 0.11
Rewrote start_app method so that content-type can be changed.
SEE ALSO (some of docs that I check often)
CGI::Getopt, Oracle::Loader, Oracle::Trigger, CGI::AppBuilder,
File::Xcopy, Debug::EchoMessage
AUTHOR
Copyright (c) 2005 Hanming Tu. All rights reserved.
This package is free software and is provided "as is" without
express or implied warranty. It may be used, redistributed and/or
modified under the terms of the Perl Artistic License (see
http://www.perl.com/perl/misc/Artistic.html)