NAME

       Glib::Variant -  strongly typed value datatype

SYNOPSIS

         my $v = Glib::Variant->new ('as', ['GTK+', 'Perl']);
         my $aref = $v->get ('as');

DESCRIPTION

       There are two sets of APIs for creating and dealing with "Glib::Variant"s: the low-level
       API described below under "METHODS", and the convenience API described in this section.

   CONVENIENCE API
       variant = Glib::Variant->new ($format_string, $value)
       (variant1, ...) = Glib::Variant->new ($format_string, $value1, ...)
           Constructs a variant from $format_string and $value.  Also supports constructing
           multiple variants when the format string is a concatenation of multiple types.

       value = $variant->get ($format_string)
           Deconstructs $variant according to $format_string.

       The following symbols are currently supported in format strings:

         +------------------------------+---------------------------------+
         |            Symbol            |             Meaning             |
         +------------------------------+---------------------------------+
         | b, y, n, q, i, u, x, t, h, d | Boolean, byte and numeric types |
         | s, o, g                      | String types                    |
         | v                            | Variant types                   |
         | a                            | Arrays                          |
         | m                            | Maybe types                     |
         | ()                           | Tuples                          |
         | {}                           | Dictionary entries              |
         +------------------------------+---------------------------------+

       Note that if a format string specifies an array, a tuple or a dictionary entry ("a", "()"
       or "{}"), then array references are expected by "new" and produced by "get".  For arrays
       of dictionary entries ("a{}"), hash references are also supported by "new" and handled as
       you would expect.

       For a complete specification, see the documentation at

       <https://developer.gnome.org/glib/stable/glib-GVariantType.html>
       <https://developer.gnome.org/glib/stable/glib-GVariant.html>
       <https://developer.gnome.org/glib/stable/gvariant-format-strings.html>
       <https://developer.gnome.org/glib/stable/gvariant-text.html>

HIERARCHY

         Glib::Variant

METHODS

   variant = Glib::Variant->new_array ($child_type, $children)
       •   $child_type (Glib::VariantType)

       •   $children (scalar)

   variant = Glib::Variant->new_boolean ($value)
       •   $value (boolean)

   variant = Glib::Variant->new_byte ($value)
       •   $value (Glib::UChar)

   variant = Glib::Variant->new_bytestring ($string)
       •   $string (byte string)

       Since: glib 2.26

   variant = Glib::Variant->new_dict_entry ($key, $value)
       •   $key (Glib::Variant)

       •   $value (Glib::Variant)

   variant = Glib::Variant->new_double ($value)
       •   $value (double)

   variant = Glib::Variant->new_handle ($value)
       •   $value (integer)

   variant = Glib::Variant->new_int16 ($value)
       •   $value (integer)

   variant = Glib::Variant->new_int32 ($value)
       •   $value (integer)

   variant = Glib::Variant->new_int64 ($value)
       •   $value (64 bit integer)

   variant = Glib::Variant->new_maybe ($child_type, $child)
       •   $child_type (Glib::VariantType)

       •   $child (Glib::Variant)

   variant = Glib::Variant->new_object_path ($object_path)
       •   $object_path (string)

   variant = Glib::Variant->new_signature ($signature)
       •   $signature (string)

   variant = Glib::Variant->new_string ($string)
       •   $string (string)

   variant = Glib::Variant->new_tuple ($children)
       •   $children (scalar)

   variant = Glib::Variant->new_uint16 ($value)
       •   $value (unsigned)

   variant = Glib::Variant->new_uint32 ($value)
       •   $value (unsigned)

   variant = Glib::Variant->new_uint64 ($value)
       •   $value (64 bit unsigned)

   variant = Glib::Variant->new_variant ($value)
       •   $value (Glib::Variant)

   boolean = $value->get_boolean
   uchar = $value->get_byte
   string = $value->get_bytestring
       Since: glib 2.26

   variant = $value->byteswap
   variant = $value->get_child_value ($index_)
       •   $index_ (unsigned)

   string = $value->classify
   integer = $one->compare ($two)
       •   $two (Glib::Variant)

       Since: glib 2.26

   double = $value->get_double
   boolean = $one->equal ($two)
       •   $two (Glib::Variant)

   integer = $value->get_handle
   integer = $value->hash
   integer = $value->get_int16
   integer = $value->get_int32
   64 bit integer = $value->get_int64
   boolean = $value->is_container
   boolean = $value->is_normal_form
   boolean = $string->is_object_path
   boolean = $value->is_of_type ($type)
       •   $type (Glib::VariantType)

   boolean = $string->is_signature
   variant = $dictionary->lookup_value ($key, $expected_type)
       •   $key (string)

       •   $expected_type (Glib::VariantType)

       Since: glib 2.28

   variant = $value->get_maybe
   unsigned = $value->n_children
   variant = $value->get_normal_form
   variant = Glib::Variant::parse ($type, $text)
       •   $type (Glib::VariantType)

       •   $text (string)

       May croak with a Glib::Error in $@ on failure.

   string = $value->print ($type_annotate)
       •   $type_annotate (boolean)

   unsigned = $value->get_size
   string = $value->get_string
   varianttype = $value->get_type
   string = $value->get_type_string
   unsigned = $value->get_uint16
   unsigned = $value->get_uint32
   64 bit unsigned = $value->get_uint64
   variant = $value->get_variant

SEE ALSO

       Glib, Glib::VariantType, Glib::VariantDict

COPYRIGHT

       Copyright (C) 2003-2011 by the gtk2-perl team.

       This software is licensed under the LGPL.  See Glib for a full notice.