Ubuntu Manpage: File::UserConfig - Get a user's existing config directory, or copy in defaults

Provided by: libfile-userconfig-perl_0.06-2_all

NAME

       File::UserConfig - Get a user's existing config directory, or copy in defaults

         # The most simple Do What I Mean usage.
         $configdir = File::UserConfig->configdir;

         # Or without taking advantage of convention-based defaults
         $configdir = File::UserConfig->new(
               dist     => 'My-Application',
               module   => 'My::Application',
               dirname  => '.myapp',
               sharedir => $defaults_here,
               )->configdir;

DESCRIPTION

Many modules or applications maintain a user-spec configuration data directory. And the
implementation pattern is generally the same.

A directory like /home/myuser/.application is created and populating by a set of default
files the first time an application runs, and from there on, the files in that directory
are modified.

"File::UserConfig" provides standard, light and sub-classable default implementation of
this concept that Does The Right Thing with the directory names.

Applying Perl Conventions
"File::UserConfig" applies and automates the following conventions.

1. We are using the distribution name?

The use of "File::ShareDir" is based on distribution name (more on that later) so we need
to know it.

The CPAN convention is for a dist to be named "Foo-Bar" after the main module "Foo::Bar"
in the distribution, but sometimes this varies, and sometimes you will want to call
"File::UserConfig" from other than the main module. But unless you say otherwise,
"File::UserConfig" will assume that if you call it from "Module::Name", that is probably
the main module, and thus your dist is probably called "Module-Name".

2. What config directory name is used

On platforms which keep application-specific data in its own directory, well away from the
data the user actually create themself, we just use the dist name.

On Unix, which has a combined home directory, we remap the dist name to be a lowercase
hidden name with all '-' chars as '_'.

So on unix only, "Module::Name" will become ".module_name". Most of the time, this will
end up what you would have used anyway.

3. Where does the config directory live

"File::UserConfig" knows where your home directory is by using File::HomeDir. And more
specifically, on platforms that support application data being kept in a subdirectory, it
will use that as well.

On Unix, Windows, and Mac OS X, it will just Do The Right Thing.

4. Where do the defaults come from?

The ability for a distribution to provide a directory full of default files is provided in
Perl by File::ShareDir.

Of course, we're also assuming you are using Module::Install so you have access to its
"install_share" command, and that the only thing your dist is going to install to it will
be the default config dir.

METHODS

       The 6 accessors all feature implicit constructors.

       In other words, the two following lines are equivalent.

         # Explicitly
         $configdir = File::UserConfig->new( ... )->configdir;

         # Auto-construction
         $configdir = File::UserConfig->configdir( ... );

         # Thus, using all default params we can just
         $configdir = File::UserConfig->configdir;

   new
         my $config = File::UserConfig->new(
             dist      => 'Not-This-Class',
             dirname   => '.myconfig',
             sharedir  => 'defaultconfig',
             homedir   => $username,
             );

       The "new" constructor takes a set of optional named params, and finds the user's
       configuration directory, creating it by copying in a default directory if an existing one
       cannot be found.

       In almost every case, you will want to use all the defaults and let everything be
       determined automatically for you. The sample above tries to show some of the limited
       number of situations in which you might want to consider providing your own values.

       But most times, you don't want to or need to. Try it without params first, and add some
       params if it isn't working for you.

       If you want to do some custom actions after you copy in the directory, the subclass and
       add it after you call the parent "new" method.

       Returns a new "File::UserConfig" object, or dies on error.

   dist
         $name = File::UserConfig->new(...)->dist;

         $name = File::UserConfig->dist(...);

       The "dist" accessor returns the name of the distribution.

   module
         $name = File::UserConfig->new(...)->module;

         $name = File::UserConfig->module(...);

       The "module" accessor returns the name of the module.

       Although the default dirname is based off the dist name, the module name is the one used
       to find the shared dir.

   dirname
         $dir = File::UserConfig->new(...)->dirname;

         $dir = File::UserConfig->dirname(...);

       The "dirname" accessor returns the name to be used for the config directory name, below
       the homedir. For example '.foo_bar'.

   sharedir
         $dir = File::UserConfig->new(...)->sharedir;

         $dist = File::UserConfig->sharedir(...);

       The "sharedir" accessor returns the name of the directory where the shared default
       configuration is held.

       Returns a path string, verified to exist before being returned.

   homedir
         $dir = File::UserConfig->new(...)->homedir;

         $dist = File::UserConfig->homedir(...);

       The "homedir" accessor returns the location of the home direcotry, that the config dir
       will be created or found below.

       Returns a path string, verified to exist before being returned.

   configdir
         $dir = File::UserConfig->new(...)->configdir;

         $dist = File::UserConfig->configdir(...);

       The "sharedir" accessor returns the name of the directory where the shared default
       configuration is held.

       Returns a path string, verified to exist before being returned.

SUPPORT

       Bugs should always be submitted via the CPAN bug tracker

       <http://rt.cpan.org/NoAuth/ReportBug.html?Queue=File-UserConfig>

       For other issues, contact the maintainer

AUTHOR

       Adam Kennedy <adamk@cpan.org>

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