NAME

       Class::DBI::mysql - Extensions to Class::DBI for MySQL

SYNOPSIS

         package Film;
         use base 'Class::DBI::mysql';
         __PACKAGE__->set_db('Main', 'dbi:mysql:dbname', 'user', 'password');
         __PACKAGE__->set_up_table("film");

         __PACKAGE__->autoinflate(dates => 'Time::Piece');

         # Somewhere else ...

         my $type = $class->column_type('column_name');
         my @allowed = $class->enum_vals('column_name');

         my $tonights_viewing  = Film->retrieve_random;

DESCRIPTION

       This is an extension to Class::DBI, containing several functions and optimisations for the
       MySQL database. Instead of setting Class::DBI as your base class, use this instead.

METHODS

   set_up_table
               __PACKAGE__->set_up_table("table_name");

       Traditionally, to use Class::DBI, you have to set up the columns:

               __PACKAGE__->columns(All => qw/list of columns/);
               __PACKAGE__->columns(Primary => 'column_name');

       Whilst this allows for more flexibility if you're going to arrange your columns into a
       variety of groupings, sometimes you just want to create the 'all columns' list. Well, this
       information is really simple to extract from MySQL itself, so why not just use that?

       This call will extract the list of all the columns, and the primary key and set them up
       for you. It will die horribly if the table contains no primary key, or has a composite
       primary key.

   autoinflate
         __PACKAGE__->autoinflate(column_type => 'Inflation::Class');

         __PACKAGE__->autoinflate(timestamp => 'Time::Piece');
         __PACKAGE__->autoinflate(dates => 'Time::Piece');

       This will automatically set up has_a() relationships for all columns of the specified type
       to the given class.

       We currently assume that all classess passed will be able to inflate and deflate without
       needing extra has_a arguments, with the example of Time::Piece objects, which we deal with
       using Time::Piece::mysql (which you'll have to have installed!).

       The special type 'dates' will autoinflate all columns of type date, datetime or timestamp.

   create_table
               $class->create_table(q{
                       name    VARCHAR(40)     NOT NULL PRIMARY KEY,
                       rank    VARCHAR(20)     NOT NULL DEFAULT 'Private',
                       serial  INTEGER         NOT NULL
               });

       This creates the table for the class, with the given schema. If the table already exists
       we do nothing.

       A typical use would be:

               Music::CD->table('cd');
               Music::CD->create_table(q{
                 cdid   MEDIUMINT UNSIGNED NOT NULL PRIMARY KEY AUTO_INCREMENT,
                 artist MEDIUMINT UNSIGNED NOT NULL,
                       title  VARCHAR(255),
                       year   YEAR,
                       INDEX (artist),
                       INDEX (title)
               });
               Music::CD->set_up_table;

   drop_table
               $class->drop_table;

       Drops the table for this class, if it exists.

   column_type
               my $type = $class->column_type('column_name');

       This returns the 'type' of this table (VARCHAR(20), BIGINT, etc.)

   enum_vals
               my @allowed = $class->enum_vals('column_name');

       This returns a list of the allowable values for an ENUM column.

   retrieve_random
               my $film = Film->retrieve_random;

       This will select a random row from the database, and return you the relevant object.

       (MySQL 3.23 and higher only, at this point)

SEE ALSO

       Class::DBI. MySQL (http://www.mysql.com/)

AUTHOR

       Tony Bowden

BUGS and QUERIES

       Please direct all correspondence regarding this module to:
         bug-Class-DBI-mysql@rt.cpan.org

COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE

         Copyright (C) 2001-2005 Tony Bowden.

         This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
         the terms of the GNU General Public License; either version 2 of the License,
         or (at your option) any later version.

         This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
         ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS
         FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.