README FILE FOR PERL MODULE -- DBD::AnyData

WHAT THE HECK IS IT?

The DBD::AnyData module provides a DBI (Perl Database Interface) and SQL (Structured Query Language) interface to data in many formats and from many sources.

There are actually two modules DBD::AnyData and AnyData. The AnyData module provides most of the same features as DBD::AnyData through a tied hash interface which does not require or support DBI and SQL.

Both modules allow accessing and modifying data in over a dozen formats. If the DBI/SQL approach is the one you want, read on. Otherwise see the documentation for AnyData.pm

Currently supported formats include general format flatfiles (CSV, Fixed Length, Tab or Pipe "delimited", etc.), specific formats (passwd files, web logs, etc.), a variety of other kinds of formats (XML, Mp3, HTML tables), and, for some operations, any DBI accessible database. The number of supported formats will continue to grow rapidly since there is an open API making it easy for any author to create additional format parsers which can be plugged in to AnyData.

Data in these various formats can come from local files, from remote files, or from perl data structures such as strings and arrays.

Regardless of the format or source of the data, it may be accessed and/or modified using all standard DBI methods and a subset of SQL syntax.

In addition to standard database access to files, the module also supports in-memory tables which allow you to create temporary views; to combine data from a number of sources; to quickly prototype database systems; and to display or save the data in any of the supported formats (e.g. to display data in a CSV file as an HTML table). These in-memory tables can be created from any combination of DBI databases or files of any format. They may also be created from perl data structures which means it's possible to quickly prototype a database system without any file access or rdbms backend.

The module also supports converting files between any of the supported formats (e.g. save selected data from MySQL or Oracle to an XML file).

HISTORICAL NOTE: this module was formerly called DBD::RAM. Its name was changed because many people were unaware that the module supports file operations in addition to in-memory operations. See the Changes file for a description of changes since the last release of DBD::RAM.

SOME EXAMPLES

# SELECT DATA FROM A PASSWD FILE
#
$dbh->func( 'users', 'Passwd', '/etc/passwd', 'ad_catalog'); my $sth = $dbh->prepare("SELECT username,homedir,GID FROM users');

# INSERT A NEW ROW INTO A CSV FILE
#
$dbh->func( 'cars', 'CSV', 'cars.csv', 'ad_catalog'); $dbh->do("INSERT INTO cars VALUES ('Honda','Odyssey')");

# READ A REMOTE XML FILE AND PRINT IT AS AN HTML TABLE #
print $dbh->func( 'XML', $url, 'HTMLtable', 'ad_convert');

# CONVERT A MYSQL DATABASE INTO XML AND SAVE IT IN A NEW FILE #
$dbh->func( 'DBI', $mysql_dbh, 'XML', 'data.xml', 'ad_convert');

CREATE AND ACCESS A VIEW CONTAINING DATA FROM AN ORACLE DATABASE AND A TAB DELIMITED FILE #
$dbh->func( 'combo', 'DBI', $oracle_dbh, 'ad_import'); $dbh->func( 'combo', 'Tab', 'data.tab', 'ad_import'); my $sth = $dbh->prepare("SELECT * FROM combo");

# CREATE A TEST TABLE FROM A REFERENCE TO AN ARRAY OF ARRAYS #
$dbh->func( 'test', 'ARRAY', $array_ref, 'ad_import'); my $sth = $dbh->prepare("SELECT * FROM test WHERE foo='bar'");

# CREATE A TEST TABLE FROM THE DATA SECTION OF A SCRIPT #
$dbh->func( 'test', 'XML', [<DATA>], 'ad_import'); my $sth = $dbh->prepare("SELECT phrase FROM test WHERE id=2"); __END__
<phrases> 

      <phrase id="1">Hello World!</phrase>
      <phrase id="2">Just Another Perl Hacker</phrase>

</phrases>

WHAT ELSE DO I NEED?

To use DBD::AnyData you will need to install these modules, all available from CPAN and most available from activeState.

Note: DBD::File is part of the DBD::CSV distribution

Additional modules are required for some advanced features, see 'perldoc DBD::AnyData'.

HOW DO I INSTALL IT?

  1. Install all the prerequired modules first if they are not already installed
  2. Unpack the compressed files. (DBD-AnyData-version.tar.gz or DBD-AnyData-version.zip)

3a. If you are not familiar with the standard Perl 

       makefile method, you can simply copy the file DBD-AnyData.pm
       into your ...site/lib/DBD directory

3b. If you are familiar with the standard Perl make 

       installation, just do as always (perl Makefile.PL; 
       make; make test; make install) this should also 
       work with dmake or nmake.

WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFO?

After installing the module, type "perldoc DBD::AnyData" at the command prompt, or just read the documentation at the bottom of the ...DBD/AnyData.pm file.

WHO DUNNIT?

Jeff Zucker <jeff@vpservices.com>

Enjoy!