CHECK_STRUCTURE(STRUCT_DEF)

The STRUCT_DEF argument specify the repository strucure with a recursive data structure consisting of one of:

ARRAY REF

An array ref specifies the contents of a directory. The referenced array must contain a pair number of elements. Each pair consists of a NAME_DEF and a STRUCT_DEF. The NAME_DEF specifies the name of the component contained in the directory and the STRUCT_DEF specifies recursively what it must be.

The NAME_DEF specifies a name in one of these ways:

STRING

A string must be one of 'FILE' and 'DIR', specifying what the current component must be.

NUMBER

A non-zero number simply tells that whatever the current component is is ok and finishes the check successfully.

A zero tells that whatever the current component is is a structure violation and aborts the commit.

Now that we have this semi-formal definition off the way, let's try to understand it with some examples.

        my $tag_rx    = qr/^[a-z]+-\d+\.\d+$/; # e.g. project-1.0
        my $branch_rx = qr/^[a-z]+-/;   # must start with letters and hifen
        my $project_struct = [
            'META.yml'    => 'FILE',
            'Makefile.PL' => 'FILE',
            ChangeLog     => 'FILE',
            LICENSE       => 'FILE',
            MANIFEST      => 'FILE',
            README        => 'FILE',
            t => [
                qr/\.t$/  => 'FILE',
            ],
            lib => 'DIR',
        ];

        CHECK_STRUCTURE(
            [
                trunk => $project_struct,
                branches => [
                    $branch_rx => $project_rx,
                ],
                tags => [
                    $tag_rx => $project_rx,
                ],
            ],
        );

The structure's first level consists of the three usual directories: "trunk", "tags", and "branches". Anything else in this level is denied.

Below the "trunk" we allow some usual files and two directories only: "lib" and "t". Below "trunk/t" we may allow only test files with the ".t" extension and below "lib" we allow anything.

We require that each branch and tag have the same structure as the "trunk", which is made easier by the use of the $project_struct variable. Moreover, we impose some restrictions on the names of the tags and the branches.

check_structure(STRUCT_DEF, PATH)

The function check_structure takes two arguments. The first is a STRUCT_DEF exactly the same as specified for the CHECK_STRUCTURE directive above. The second is a PATH to a file which will be checked against the STRUCT_DEF.

The function returns true if the check succeeds and dies with a proper message otherwise.

The function is intended to check paths as they're shown by the 'svn ls' command, i.e., with no leading slashes and with a trailing slash to indicate directories. The leading slash is assumed if it's missing, but the trailing slash is needed to indicate directories.