NAME

       Net::IPv6Addr -- check validity of IPv6 addresses

SYNOPSIS

           use Net::IPv6Addr;

           Net::IPv6Addr::ipv6_parse($addr);
           $x = new Net::IPv6Addr("dead:beef:cafe:babe::f0ad");
           print $x->to_string_preferred(), "\n";

DESCRIPTION

       "Net::IPv6Addr" checks strings for valid IPv6 addresses, as specified in RFC1884.  You
       throw possible addresses at it, it either accepts them or throws an exception.

       If "Math::Base85" is installed, then this module is able to process addresses formatted in
       the style referenced by RFC1924.

       The public interface of this module is rather small.

new

   Parameters
       A string to be interpreted as an IPv6 address.

   Returns
       A "Net::IPv6Addr" object if successful.

   Notes
       Throws an exception if the string isn't a valid address.

ipv6_parse

   Parameters
       A string containing an IPv6 address string.  Optionally, it may also include a "/"
       character, and a numeric prefix length, in that order.


               -or-
       An IPv6 address string.  Optionally, a numeric prefix length.

   Returns
       What you gave it, more or less, if it does parse out correctly.

   Notes
       Throws an exception on malformed input.  This is not an object method or class method;
       it's just a subroutine.

is_ipv6

   Parameters
       A string containing an IPv6 address string.  Optionally, it may also include a "/"
       character, and a numeric prefix length, in that order.


               -or-
       An IPv6 address string.  Optionally, a numeric prefix length.

   Returns
       What you gave it, more or less, if it does parse out correctly, otherwise returns undef.

   Notes
       This is not an object method or class method; it is just a subroutine.

ipv6_chkip

   Parameters
       An IPv6 address string.

   Returns
       Something true if it's a valid address; something false otherwise.

to_string_preferred

   Parameters
       If used as an object method, none; if used as a plain old subroutine, an IPv6 address
       string in any format.

   Returns
       The IPv6 address, formatted in the "preferred" way (as detailed by RFC1884).

   Notes
       Invalid input will generate an exception.

to_string_compressed

   Parameters
       If used as an object method, none; if used as a plain old subroutine, an IPv6 address
       string in any format.

   Returns
       The IPv6 address in "compresed" format (as detailed by RFC1884).

   Notes
       Invalid input will generate an exception.

to_string_ipv4

   Parameters
       If used as an object method, none; if used as a plain old subroutine, an IPv6 address
       string in any format.

   Returns
       The IPv6 address in IPv4 format (as detailed by RFC1884).

   Notes
       Invalid input (such as an address that was not originally IPv4) will generate an
       exception.

to_string_ipv4_compressed

   Parameters
       If used as an object method, none; if used as a plain old subroutine, an IPv6 address
       string in any format.

   Returns
       The IPv6 address in compressed IPv4 format (as detailed by RFC1884).

   Notes
       Invalid input (such as an address that was not originally IPv4) will generate an
       exception.

to_string_base85

   Parameters
       If used as an object method, none; if used as a plain old subroutine, an IPv6 address
       string in any format.

   Returns
       The IPv6 address in the style detailed by RFC1924.

   Notes
       Invalid input will generate an exception.

to_bigint

   Parameters
       If used as an object method, none; if used as a plain old subroutine, an IPv6 address
       string in any format.

   Returns
       The BigInt representation of IPv6 address.

   Notes
       Invalid input will generate an exception.

to_array

   Parameters
       If used as an object method, none; if used as a plain old subroutine, an IPv6 address
       string in any format.

   Returns
       An array [0..7] of 16 bit hexadecimal numbers.

   Notes
       Invalid input will generate an exception.

to_intarray

   Parameters
       If used as an object method, none; if used as a plain old subroutine, an IPv6 address
       string in any format.

   Returns
       An array [0..7] of decimal numbers.

   Notes
       Invalid input will generate an exception.

to_string_ip6_int

   Parameters
       If used as an object method, none; if used as a plain old subroutine, an IPv6 address
       string in any format.

   Returns
       The reverse-address pointer as defined by RFC1886.

   Notes
       Invalid input will generate an exception.

in_network_of_size

   Parameters
       If used as an object method, network size in bits

       If used as a plain old subroutine, an IPv6 address string in any format and network size
       in bits. Network size may be given with / notation.

   Returns
       Network IPv6Addr of given size.

   Notes
       Invalid input will generate an exception.

in_network

   Parameters
       If used as an object method, network and its size in bits

       If used as a plain old subroutine, an IPv6 address string in any format network address
       string and size in bits.  Network size may be given with / notation.

   Returns
       Something true, if address is member of the network, false otherwise.

   Notes
       Invalid input will generate an exception.

BUGS

       probably exist in this module.  Please report them.

AUTHOR

       Tony Monroe <tmonroe plus perl at nog dot net>.

       The module's interface probably looks like it vaguely resembles Net::IPv4Addr by Francis
       J. Lacoste <francis dot lacoste at iNsu dot COM>.

       Some fixes and subroutines from Jyrki Soini <jyrki dot soini at sonera dot com>.

HISTORY

       This was originally written to simplify the task of maintaining DNS records after I set
       myself up with Freenet6.  Interesting that there's really only one DNS-related subroutine
       in here.

SEE ALSO

       RFC1884, RFC1886, RFC1924, perl, Net::IPv4Addr, Math::Base85, Math::BigInt