NAME

       Config::Any - Load configuration from different file formats, transparently

SYNOPSIS

           use Config::Any;

           my $cfg = Config::Any->load_stems({stems => \@filepath_stems, ... });
           # or
           my $cfg = Config::Any->load_files({files => \@filepaths, ... });

           for (@$cfg) {
               my ($filename, $config) = %$_;
               $class->config($config);
               warn "loaded config from file: $filename";
           }

DESCRIPTION

       Config::Any provides a facility for Perl applications and libraries to load configuration
       data from multiple different file formats. It supports XML, YAML, JSON, Apache-style
       configuration, Windows INI files, and even Perl code.

       The rationale for this module is as follows: Perl programs are deployed on many different
       platforms and integrated with many different systems. Systems administrators and end users
       may prefer different configuration formats than the developers. The flexibility inherent
       in a multiple format configuration loader allows different users to make different
       choices, without generating extra work for the developers. As a developer you only need to
       learn a single interface to be able to use the power of different configuration formats.

INTERFACE

   load_files( \%args )
           Config::Any->load_files( { files => \@files } );
           Config::Any->load_files( { files => \@files, filter  => \&filter } );
           Config::Any->load_files( { files => \@files, use_ext => 1 } );
           Config::Any->load_files( { files => \@files, flatten_to_hash => 1 } );

       "load_files()" attempts to load configuration from the list of files passed in the "files"
       parameter, if the file exists.

       If the "filter" parameter is set, it is used as a callback to modify the configuration
       data before it is returned. It will be passed a single hash-reference parameter which it
       should modify in-place.

       If the "use_ext" parameter is defined, the loader will attempt to parse the file extension
       from each filename and will skip the file unless it matches a standard extension for the
       loading plugins. Only plugins whose standard extensions match the file extension will be
       used. For efficiency reasons, its use is encouraged, but be aware that you will lose
       flexibility -- for example, a file called "myapp.cfg" containing YAML data will not be
       offered to the YAML plugin, whereas "myapp.yml" or "myapp.yaml" would be.

       When the "flatten_to_hash" parameter is defined, the loader will return a hash keyed on
       the file names, as opposed to the usual list of single-key hashes.

       "load_files()" also supports a 'force_plugins' parameter, whose value should be an
       arrayref of plugin names like "Config::Any::INI". Its intended use is to allow the use of
       a non-standard file extension while forcing it to be offered to a particular parser.  It
       is not compatible with 'use_ext'.

       You can supply a "driver_args" hashref to pass special options to a particular parser
       object. Example:

           Config::Any->load_files( { files => \@files, driver_args => {
               General => { -LowerCaseNames => 1 }
           } )

   load_stems( \%args )
           Config::Any->load_stems( { stems => \@stems } );
           Config::Any->load_stems( { stems => \@stems, filter  => \&filter } );
           Config::Any->load_stems( { stems => \@stems, use_ext => 1 } );
           Config::Any->load_stems( { stems => \@stems, flatten_to_hash => 1 } );

       "load_stems()" attempts to load configuration from a list of files which it generates by
       combining the filename stems list passed in the "stems" parameter with the potential
       filename extensions from each loader, which you can check with the "extensions()"
       classmethod described below. Once this list of possible filenames is built it is treated
       exactly as in "load_files()" above, as which it takes the same parameters. Please read the
       "load_files()" documentation before using this method.

   finder( )
       The "finder()" classmethod returns the Module::Pluggable::Object object which is used to
       load the plugins. See the documentation for that module for more information.

   plugins( )
       The "plugins()" classmethod returns the names of configuration loading plugins as found by
       Module::Pluggable::Object.

   extensions( )
       The "extensions()" classmethod returns the possible file extensions which can be loaded by
       "load_stems()" and "load_files()". This may be useful if you set the "use_ext" parameter
       to those methods.

DIAGNOSTICS

       "No files specified!" or "No stems specified!"
           The "load_files()" and "load_stems()" methods will issue this warning if called with
           an empty list of files/stems to load.

       "_load requires a arrayref of file paths"
           This fatal error will be thrown by the internal "_load" method. It should not occur
           but is specified here for completeness. If your code dies with this error, please
           email a failing test case to the authors below.

CONFIGURATION AND ENVIRONMENT

       Config::Any requires no configuration files or environment variables.

DEPENDENCIES

       Module::Pluggable

       And at least one of the following: Config::General Config::Tiny JSON YAML JSON::Syck
       YAML::Syck XML::Simple

INCOMPATIBILITIES

       None reported.

BUGS AND LIMITATIONS

       No bugs have been reported.

       Please report any bugs or feature requests to "bug-config-any@rt.cpan.org", or through the
       web interface at <http://rt.cpan.org>.

AUTHOR

       Joel Bernstein <rataxis@cpan.org>

CONTRIBUTORS

       This module was based on the original Catalyst::Plugin::ConfigLoader module by Brian
       Cassidy "<bricas@cpan.org>".

       With ideas and support from Matt S Trout "<mst@shadowcatsystems.co.uk>".

       Further enhancements suggested by Evan Kaufman "<evank@cpan.org>".

LICENCE AND COPYRIGHT

       Copyright (c) 2006, Portugal Telecom "http://www.sapo.pt/". All rights reserved.  Portions
       copyright 2007, Joel Bernstein "<rataxis@cpan.org>".

       This module is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same
       terms as Perl itself. See perlartistic.

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY

       BECAUSE THIS SOFTWARE IS LICENSED FREE OF CHARGE, THERE IS NO WARRANTY FOR THE SOFTWARE,
       TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. EXCEPT WHEN OTHERWISE STATED IN WRITING THE
       COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND/OR OTHER PARTIES PROVIDE THE SOFTWARE "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF
       ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED
       WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO
       THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE IS WITH YOU. SHOULD THE SOFTWARE PROVE
       DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR, OR CORRECTION.

       IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW OR AGREED TO IN WRITING WILL ANY COPYRIGHT
       HOLDER, OR ANY OTHER PARTY WHO MAY MODIFY AND/OR REDISTRIBUTE THE SOFTWARE AS PERMITTED BY
       THE ABOVE LICENCE, BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL,
       INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE
       SOFTWARE (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF DATA OR DATA BEING RENDERED INACCURATE OR
       LOSSES SUSTAINED BY YOU OR THIRD PARTIES OR A FAILURE OF THE SOFTWARE TO OPERATE WITH ANY
       OTHER SOFTWARE), EVEN IF SUCH HOLDER OR OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
       SUCH DAMAGES.

SEE ALSO

       Catalyst::Plugin::ConfigLoader -- now a wrapper around this module.