NAME

       Dpkg::Changelog::Parse - generic changelog parser for dpkg-parsechangelog

DESCRIPTION

       This module provides a set of functions which reproduce all the features of dpkg-
       parsechangelog.

FUNCTIONS

       $fields = changelog_parse_debian(%opt)
           This function will parse a changelog. In list context, it returns as many
           Dpkg::Control objects as the parser did create. In scalar context, it will return only
           the first one. If the parser did not return any data, it will return an empty list in
           list context or undef on scalar context. If the parser failed, it will die.

           The changelog file that is parsed is debian/changelog by default but it can be
           overridden with $opt{file}. The default output format is "dpkg" but it can be
           overridden with $opt{format}.

           The parsing itself is done by Dpkg::Changelog::Debian.

       $fields = changelog_parse_plugin(%opt)
           This function will parse a changelog. In list context, it returns as many
           Dpkg::Control objects as the parser did output. In scalar context, it will return only
           the first one. If the parser did not return any data, it will return an empty list in
           list context or undef on scalar context. If the parser failed, it will die.

           The parsing itself is done by an external program (searched in the following list of
           directories: $opt{libdir}, /usr/local/lib/dpkg/parsechangelog,
           /usr/lib/dpkg/parsechangelog).  That program is named according to the format that it
           is able to parse. By default it is either "debian" or the format name looked up in the
           40 last lines of the changelog itself (extracted with this perl regular expression
           "\schangelog-format:\s+([0-9a-z]+)\W"). But it can be overridden with
           $opt{changelogformat}. The program expects the content of the changelog file on its
           standard input.

           The changelog file that is parsed is debian/changelog by default but it can be
           overridden with $opt{file}.

           All the other keys in %opt are forwarded as parameter to the external parser. If the
           key starts with "-", it is passed as is. If not, it is passed as "--<key>". If the
           value of the corresponding hash entry is defined, then it is passed as the parameter
           that follows.

       $fields = changelog_parse(%opt)
           This function will parse a changelog. In list context, it returns as many
           Dpkg::Control objects as the parser did create. In scalar context, it will return only
           the first one. If the parser did not return any data, it will return an empty list in
           list context or undef on scalar context. If the parser failed, it will die.

           If $opt{forceplugin} is false and $opt{changelogformat} is "debian", then
           changelog_parse_debian() is called to perform the parsing. Otherwise
           changelog_parse_plugin() is used.

           The changelog file that is parsed is debian/changelog by default but it can be
           overridden with $opt{file}.

CHANGES

   Version 1.01 (dpkg 1.18.2)
       New functions: changelog_parse_debian(), changelog_parse_plugin().

   Version 1.00 (dpkg 1.15.6)
       Mark the module as public.