NAME

SQL::Library - A module for managing simple SQL libraries stored in INI-like files.

VERSION

This document refers to version 0.0.2 of SQL::Library.

SYNOPSIS

use SQL::Library ;

      my $sql   = new SQL::Library { lib => 'sql.lib' } ;
                              # or { lib => [ <FH> ] } ;
                              # or { lib => [ $string ] } ;

      ## Ask for a library entry by name...
      my $query = $sql->retr( 'some_sql_query' ) ;

      ## Add or update an entry...
      $sql->set( 'yet_another_query', <<'END' ) ;
      SELECT foo
      FROM   bar
      WHERE  zoot = 1
      END

      ## Remove an entry from the library...
      $sql->drop( 'one_more_query' ) ;

      ## List the entries in the library...
      print join( ' : ', $sql->elements ), "\n" ;

      ## Dump the contents of the library to a string...
      my $lib_str = $sql->dump ;

      ## Write the library to disk...
      $sql->write ;

LIBRARY FILE FORMAT

The format for the library files looks a little like an INI file. However, unlike an INI file, it does not handle key=value pairs which are divided into sections. Library entry names are on a line by themselves, enclosed in square brackets. Whatever occurs until the next title tag is the value of the library entry. Blank lines, pound signs (#) and C++ style comments (//) are all discarded.

A sample library file might look like this:

## A sample library file

      [get_survey_questions]
      select   question_no,
               question_text
      from     question
      where    survey_id = ?
      order by question_no

      [get_survey_info]
      select title,
             date_format( open_date, '%Y%m%d' ) as open_date, 
             date_format( close_date, '%Y%m%d' ) as close_date, 
             template_file
      from   survey
      where  survey_id = ?

OBJECT METHODS

PACKAGE->new( HASHREF )

        Create a new library handle. Currently, the only argument supported
        in the hashref is "lib", which refers to the file containing the SQL
        library.

$OBJ->retr( NAME )

Returns the library entry referenced by NAME.

$OBJ->set( NAME, VALUE )

        Sets the library entry NAME to VALUE. This is used both to create
        new library entries and to update existing ones.

$OBJ->drop( NAME )

Drops entry NAME form the library.

$OBJ->elements

Returns a list of all entry names in the library.

$OBJ->dump

        Returns a string containing the library contents in the same INI
        format that the module reads from.

$OBJ->write

Writes the library to the file named in "lib".

AUTHOR

Doug Gorley <douggorley@shaw.ca>

BUGS

• write() should write to a string, if it was so called.

TO-DO

• Complete test suite

COPYRIGHT

Copyright (C) 2004 by Doug Gorley.

This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself, either Perl version 5.8.2 or, at your option, any later version of Perl 5 you may have available.