NAME

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

VERSION

       version 2.082

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

   grab(...)
       Grab an object from the configuration tree.

       Parameters are:

       "step"
           A string indicating the steps to follow in the tree to find the required item.
           (mandatory)

       "mode"
           When set to "strict", "grab" will throw an exception if no object is found using the
           passed string. When set to "adaptative", the object found at last will be returned.
           For instance, for the step "good_step wrong_step", only the object held by "good_step"
           will be returned. When set to "loose", grab will return undef in case of problem.
           (default is "strict")

       "type"
           Either "node", "leaf", "hash" or "list" or an array ref containing these values.
           Returns only an object of requested type. Depending on "strict" value, "grab" will
           either throw an exception or return the last found object of requested type.
           (optional, default to "undef", which means any type of object)

           Examples:

            $root->grep(step => 'foo:2 bar', type => 'leaf')
            $root->grep(step => 'foo:2 bar', type => ['leaf','check_list'])

       "autoadd"
           When set to 1, "hash" or "list" configuration element are created when requested by
           the passed steps. (default is 1).

       grab_non_available
           When set to 1, grab will return an object even if this one is not available. I.e. even
           if this element was warped out. (default is 0).

       The "step" parameters is made of the following items separated by spaces:

       -       Go up one node

       !       Go to the root node.

       !Foo    Go up the configuration tree until the "Foo" configuration class is found. Raise
               an exception if no "Foo" class is found when root node is reached.

       xxx     Go down using "xxx" element.

       xxx:yy  Go down using "xxx" element and id "yy" (valid for hash or list elements)

       ?xxx    Go up the tree until a node containing element "xxx" is found. Then go down the
               tree like item "xxx".

               If "?xxx:yy", go up the tree the same way. But no check is done to see if id "yy"
               actually exists or not. Only the element "xxx" is considered when going up the
               tree.

   grab_value(...)
       Like "grab(...)", but will return the value of a leaf or check_list object, not just the
       leaf object.

       Will raise an exception if following the steps ends on anything but a leaf or a
       check_list.

   grab_annotation(...)
       Like "grab(...)", but will return the annotation of an object.

   grab_root()
       Returns the root of the configuration tree.

   grab_ancestor( Foo )
       Go up the configuration tree until the "Foo" configuration class is found. Returns the
       found node or undef.

   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.

   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) 2005-2016 by Dominique Dumont.

       This is free software, licensed under:

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