NAME

SYNOPSIS

    # Define a source adapter

    package CGI::FormBuilder::Source::Whatever;

    sub new {
        my $self  = shift;
        my $class = ref($self) || $self;
        my %opt   = @_;
        return bless \%opt, $class;
    }

    sub parse {
        my $self = shift;
        my $file = shift || $self->{source};

        # open the file and parse it, or whatever
        my %formopt;
        open(F, "<$file") || die "Can't read $file: $!";
        while (<F>) {
            # ... do stuff to the line ...
            $formopt{$fb_option} = $fb_value;
        }

        # return hash of $form options
        return wantarray ? %formopt : \%formopt;
    }

DESCRIPTION

An external source is invoked by using the "source" option to the top-level "new()" method:

    my $form = CGI::FormBuilder->new(
                    source => 'source_file.conf'
               );

This example points to a filename that contains a file following the "CGI::FormBuilder::Source::File" layout. Like with the "template" option, you can also specify "source" as a reference to a hash, allowing you to use other source adapters:

    my $form = CGI::FormBuilder->new(
                    fields => \@fields,
                    source => {
                        type => 'File',
                        source => '/path/to/source.conf',
                    }
               );

The "type" option specifies the name of the source adapter. Currently accepted types are:

    File  -  CGI::FormBuilder::Source::File

In addition to one of these types, you can also specify a complete package name, in which case that module will be autoloaded and its "new()" and "parse()" routines used. For example:

    my $form = CGI::FormBuilder->new(
                    fields => \@fields,
                    source => {
                        type => 'My::Source::Module',
                        somefile => '/path/to/source.conf',
                    }
               );

All other options besides "type" are passed to the constructor for that source module verbatim, so it's up to you and/or the source module on how these additional options should be handled.

SEE ALSO

REVISION

AUTHOR

This module is free software; you may copy this under the terms of the GNU General Public License, or the Artistic License, copies of which should have accompanied your Perl kit.