NAME

ZML - A simple, fast, and easy to read binary data storage format.

VERSION

Version 1.0.0

SYNOPSIS

The error handling is unified between all methods. If $object->{error} is ever defined after a function is ran there has been an error. A description of the error can be found in $object->{errorString}. The error string is always defined, but set to "" when there is no error. The error is blanked after each run.

    use ZML;

    my $zml = ZML->new();
    my $zmlstring="a=0\nb=1\n 2\n";
    if ($zml->error){
        print "Parsing the string failed with a error, ".$zml->{error}.
                        ", ".$zml->{errorString}."\n";
    };
    ...

METHODS

new

Creates a new ZML object.

        my $ZMLobject=$ZML->new;

addVar

This adds a new meta variable for a variable. Two values are required for it.

The first variable is the name of the variable being added.

The second is the meeta data. This can contain any character.

        $ZMLobject->addVar("some/variable", "whatever");

addComment

This adds a new comment for a variable. Three values are required for it.

The first variable is the name of the variable the comment is being added for.

The second is the name of the comment. This also has to be a legit variable name.

The third is the comment. This can contain any character.

        $ZMLobject->addComment("some/variable", "comment/variable","Some fragging comment.");

addMeta

This adds a new meta variable for a variable. Three values are required for it.

The first variable is the name of the variable the meta variable is being added for.

The second is the meta variable. This also has to be a legit variable name.

The third is the meeta data. This can contain any character.

        $ZMLobject->addMeta("some/variable", "meta/variable","whatever");

clearComment

This removes a meta variable. Two values are required.

The first is the variable name.

        $ZMLobject->clearComment("some/variable");

clearMeta

This removes a meta. Two values are required.

This removes all meta values for a variable.

        $ZMLobject->clearMeta("some/variable");

delVar

This removes a variable. The only variable required is the name of the variable.

        $ZMLobject->delVar("some/variable");

delMeta

This removes a meta variable. Two values are required.

The first is the variable name.

The second is the meta variable.

        $ZMLobject->delMeta("some/variable", "meta variable");

delComment

This removes a comment name. Two values are required.

The first is the variable name.

The second is the comment name.

        $ZMLobject->delMeta("some/variable", "comment name");

getVar

Gets a value of a variable.

        my @variables=$zml->getVar("some variable");

getMeta

Gets a value for a meta variable.

        my @variables=$zml->getVar("some variable", "some meta variable");

getComment

Gets the value for a comment

        my @variables=$zml->getComment("some variable", "some comment name");

keysVar

This gets a array containing the names of the variables.

        my @variables=$zml->keysVar();

keysMeta

This gets a list of variables with metas.

        my @variables=$zml->keysMeta();

keysComment

This gets a list of comments.

        my @variables=$zml->keysComment();

keysMetaVar

This gets a list of variables for a meta. It required one variable, which is the name of the meta to get the meta variables for.

        my @variables=$zml->keysMetaVar("some variable");

keysCommentVar

This gets a list of comments for a variable. It requires one arguement, which is the variable to get the comments for.

        my @variables=$zml->keysCommentVar("some variable");

keyRegexDelComment

This searches a the comments for a match and removes it.

It requires two arguements. The first arguement is the regexp used to match the variable. The second is a regexp to match a name.

        #checks every meta for any meta variable matching /^monkey/
        my %removed=keyRegexDelComment("", "^monkey")

        #prints the removed
        my @removedA=keys(%removed)
        my $removedInt=0;
        while(defined($removedA[$removedInt])){
                my $mvInt=0;
                while(defined($removed{$removedA[$removedInt]})){
                        print $removed{$removedA[$removedInt]}[$mvInt]."\n";
                        
                        $mvInt++;
                };
                
                $removedInt++;
        };

keyRegexDelMeta

This searches a the metas for a match and removes it.

It requires two arguements. The first arguement is the regexp used to match the meta. The second is the regexp used to match the meta variable.

        #checks every meta for any meta variable matching /^monkey/
        my %removed=keyRegexDelMeta("", "^monkey")

        #prints the removed
        my @removedA=keys(%removed)
        my $removedInt=0;
        while(defined($removedA[$removedInt])){
                my $mvInt=0;
                while(defined($removed{$removedA[$removedInt]})){
                        print $removed{$removedA[$removedInt]}[$mvInt]."\n";
                        
                        $mvInt++;
                };
                
                $removedInt++;
        };

keyRegexDelVar

This searches a the variables for a match and removes it.

It requires one arguement, which is the regex to use.

It returns a array of removed variables.

        #remove any variables starting with the word monkey
        my @removed=keyRegexDelVar("^monkey")

parse

This parses a string in the ZML format. The only variable it requires is the string that contains the data.

string

This function creates a string out of a the object.

        my $string=$zml->string;

valRegexDelComment

This searches the comments for ones that have a value matching the regex.

It requires one arguement, which is the regex to use.

It returns a array of removed variables.

        #removes any variable in which the value matches /^monkey/
        my %removed=keyRegexDelMeta("^monkey")

        #prints the removed
        my @removedA=keys(%removed)
        my $removedInt=0;
        while(defined($removedA[$removedInt])){
                my $mvInt=0;
                while(defined($removed{$removedA[$removedInt]})){
                        print $removed{$removedA[$removedInt]}[$mvInt]."\n";
                        
                        $mvInt++;
                };
                
                $removedInt++;
        };

valRegexDelMeta

This searches the variables for ones that have a value matching the regex.

It requires one arguement, which is the regex to use.

It returns a array of removed variables.

        #removes any variable in which the value matches /^monkey/
        my %removed=keyRegexDelMeta("^monkey")

        #prints the removed
        my @removedA=keys(%removed)
        my $removedInt=0;
        while(defined($removedA[$removedInt])){
                my $mvInt=0;
                while(defined($removed{$removedA[$removedInt]})){
                        print $removed{$removedA[$removedInt]}[$mvInt]."\n";
                        
                        $mvInt++;
                };
                
                $removedInt++;
        };

valRegexDelVar

This searches the variables for ones that have a value matching the regex.

It requires one arguement, which is the regex to use.

It returns a array of removed variables.

        #remove any variables starting with the word monkey
        my @removed=valRegexDelVar("^monkey")

varNameCheck

This checks a variable name to see if it is legit. It requires one variable, which the name of the variable. It returns two values.

The first is a integer which represents the of the error. If it is false, there is no error.

The second return is the string that describes the error.

        my ($legit, $errorString)=varNameCheck($name);

ZML FORMAT

There is no whitespace.

A line starting with a " " is a continuation of the last variable.

A line starting with ## indicates it is a comment.

A line starting with a #! indicates it is a meta.

Any line not starting with a /^#/ or " " is a variable.

comments

A line starting with ## indicates it is a comment, as stated above.

It is broken down into three parts, variable, comment name, and the value. Each is sperated by a "=". Any thing after the second "=" is considered to be part of the value.

variable

Any line not starting with a /^#/ or " " is a variable, as stated above.

It is broken down into two parts seperated by a "=". Any thing after the "=" is considered part of the value.

multi-line data

Any line matching /^ / is considered to be a continuation of the last value section of the value part of the variable. When a string is created s/\n/\n /g is ran over the value to transform it to a storable state.

variable naming

A variable name is considered non-legit if it matches any of the following regexs.

        /,/
        /\/\./
        /\/\//
        /\.\.\//
        /\/\.\./
        /^\.\//
        /\/$/
        /^\//
        /\n/
        /=/

ERROR HANDLING/CODES

This module uses Error::Helper for error handling. Below are the error codes returned by the error method.

1

The variable name matches /\/\./.

2

The variable name matches /\/\//.

3

The variable name matches /\.\.\//.

4

The variable name matches /\/\.\./.

5

The variable name matches /^\.\//.

6

The variable name matches /\/$/.

7

The variable name matches /^\//.

8

The variable name matches /\n/.

9

The variable name matches /=/.

10

Undefined variable.

11

This means the variable name matches /,/.

AUTHOR

Zane C. Bowers-Hadley, "<vvelox at vvelox.net>"

BUGS

Please report any bugs or feature requests to "bug-zml at rt.cpan.org", or through the web interface at <http://rt.cpan.org/NoAuth/ReportBug.html?Queue=ZML>. I will be notified, and then you'll automatically be notified of progress on your bug as I make changes.

SUPPORT

You can find documentation for this module with the perldoc command.

    perldoc ZML

You can also look for information at:

RT: CPAN's request tracker
<http://rt.cpan.org/NoAuth/Bugs.html?Dist=ZML>
AnnoCPAN: Annotated CPAN documentation
<http://annocpan.org/dist/ZML>
CPAN Ratings
<http://cpanratings.perl.org/d/ZML>
Search CPAN
<http://search.cpan.org/dist/ZML>

COPYRIGHT & LICENSE

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.