NAME

       Config::Model::AnyThing - Base class for configuration tree item

VERSION

       version 2.117

SYNOPSIS

        # internal class

DESCRIPTION

       This class must be inherited by all nodes or leaves of the configuration tree.

       AnyThing provides some methods and no constructor.

Introspection methods

   element_name()
       Returns the element name that contain this object.

   index_value()
       For object stored in an array or hash element, returns the index (or key) containing this
       object.

   parent
       Returns the node containing this object. May return undef if "parent()" is called on the
       root of the tree.

   container_type()
       Returns the type (e.g. "list" or "hash" or "leaf" or "node" or "warped_node") of the
       element containing this object.

   root()
       Returns the root node of the configuration tree.

   location()
       Returns the node location in the configuration tree. This location conforms with the
       syntax defined by grab method.

   location_short()
       Returns the node location in the configuration tree. This location truncates long indexes
       to be readable. It cannot be used by grab method.

   composite_name
       Return the element name with its index (if any). I.e. returns "foo:bar" or "foo".

   composite_name_short
       Return the element name with its index (if any). Too long indexes are truncated to be
       readable.

Annotation

       Annotation is a way to store miscellaneous information associated to each node. (Yeah...
       comments). Reading and writing annotation makes sense only if they can be read from and
       written to the configuration file, hence the need for the following method:

   backend_support_annotation
       Returns 1 if at least one of the backends attached to a parent node support to read and
       write annotations (aka comments) in the configuration file.

   support_annotation
       Returns 1 if at least one of the backends support to read and write annotations (aka
       comments) in the configuration file.

   annotation( [ note1, [ note2 , ... ] ] )
       Without argument, return a string containing the object's annotation (or an empty string).

       With several arguments, join the arguments with "\n", store the annotations and return the
       resulting string.

   load_pod_annotation ( pod_string )
       Load annotations in configuration tree from a pod document. The pod must be in the form:

        =over

        =item path

        Annotation text

        =back

   clear_annotation
       Clear the annotation of an element

Information management

   notify_change(...)
       Notify the instance of semantic changes. Parameters are:

       old     old value. (optional)

       new     new value (optional)

       path    Location of the changed parameter starting from root node. Default to
               "$self-"location>.

       name    element name. Default to "$self-"element_name>

       index   If the changed parameter is part of a hash or an array, "index" contains the key
               or the index to get the changed parameter.

       note    information about the change. Mandatory of neither old or new value are defined.

       really  When set to 1, force recording of change even if in initial load phase.

       needs_save
               internal parameter.

   show_message( string )
       Forwarded to "show_message( string )" in Config::Model::Instance.

   root_path
       Forwarded to "root_path" in Config::Model::Instance.

   model_searcher ()
       Returns an object dedicated to search an element in the configuration model (respecting
       privilege level).

       This method returns a Config::Model::SearchElement object. See Config::Model::Searcher for
       details on how to handle a search.

   dump_as_data ( )
       Dumps the configuration data of the node and its siblings into a perl data structure.

       Returns a hash ref containing the data. See Config::Model::DumpAsData for details.

   warp_error
       Returns a string describing any issue with Config::Model::Warper object.  Returns '' if
       invoked on a tree object without warp specification.

AUTHOR

       Dominique Dumont, (ddumont at cpan dot org)

SEE ALSO

       Config::Model, Config::Model::Instance, Config::Model::Node, Config::Model::Loader,
       Config::Model::Dumper

AUTHOR

       Dominique Dumont

COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE

       This software is Copyright (c) 2005-2018 by Dominique Dumont.

       This is free software, licensed under:

         The GNU Lesser General Public License, Version 2.1, February 1999