User::Identity::Archive::Plain is an User::Identity::Archive is an User::Identity::Item
use User::Identity::Archive::Plain;
my $friends = User::Identity::Archive::Plain->new('friends');
$friends->from(\*FH);
$friends->from('.friends');
Extends ``DESCRIPTION'' in User::Identity::Archive.
-Option --Defined in --Default abbreviations [] description User::Identity::Item undef from User::Identity::Archive undef name User::Identity::Item <required> only [] parent User::Identity::Item undef tabstop 8
If $class is "undef", then the abbreviation is deleted. The class name which is deleted is returned.
-Option --Default tabstop <default from object> verbose 0
It is too much work to specify full class named on each spot where you want to create a new object with data. Therefore, abbreviations are introduced. Use new(abbreviations) or abbreviations() to add extra abbreviations or to overrule some predefined.
Predefined names:
user User::Identity
email Mail::Identity
location User::Identity::Location
system User::Identity::System
list User::Identity::Collection::Emails
It would have been nicer to refer to a person in stead of a user, however that would add to the confusion with the name-space.
Indentation says all
The syntax is as simple as possible. An extra indentation on a line means that the variable or class is a collection within the class on the line before.
user markov
location home
country NL
email home
address mark@overmeer.net
location home
email work
address solutions@overmeer.bet
email tux
address tux@fish.net
The above defines two items: one User::Identity named "markov", and an e-mail address "tux". The user has two collections: one contains a single location, and one stores two e-mail addresses.
To add to the confusion: the "location" is defined as field in "email" and as collection. The difference is easily detected: if there are indented fields following the line it is a collection. Mistakes will in most cases result in an error message.
Long lines
If you want to continue on the next line, because your content is too large, then add a backslash to the end, like this:
email home
description This is my home address, \
But I sometimes use this for \
work as well
address tux@fish.aq
Continuations do not play the game of indentation, so what you also can do is:
email home
description \
This is my home address, \
But I sometimes use this for \
work as well
address tux@fish.aq
The fields "comment" and "address" must be correctly indented. The line terminations are lost, which is useful for most fields. However, if you need them, you have to check the description of the applicable field.
Comments
You may add comments and white spaces. Comments start with a '#' as first non-blank character on the line. Comments are not allowed on the same line as real data, as some languages (like Perl) permit.
You can insert comments and blank lines on all places where you need them:
user markov
# my home address
email home
# useless comment statement
address tux@fish.aq
location #mind_the_hash
is equivalent to:
user markov
email home
address tux@fish.aq
location #mind_the_hash
References
Often you will have the need to add the same information to two items, for instance, multiple people share the same address. In this case, you can create a reference. However, this is only permitted for whole items: you can refer to someone's location, but not to the person's street.
To create a reference to an item of someone else, use
user markov
location home = user(cleo).location(home)
location work
organization MARKOV Solutions
Configuration parameters
You can add some configuration lines as well. On the moment, the only one defined is
tabstop = 4
which can be used to change the meaning of tabs in the file. The default setting is 8, but some people prefer 4 (or other values).
This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself. See http://dev.perl.org/licenses/