1CONFIG_DATA(1)         Perl Programmers Reference Guide         CONFIG_DATA(1)
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NAME

6       config_data - Query or change configuration of Perl modules
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SYNOPSIS

9         # Get config/feature values
10         config_data --module Foo::Bar --feature bazzable
11         config_data --module Foo::Bar --config magic_number
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13         # Set config/feature values
14         config_data --module Foo::Bar --set_feature bazzable=1
15         config_data --module Foo::Bar --set_config magic_number=42
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17         # Print a usage message
18         config_data --help
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DESCRIPTION

21       The "config_data" tool provides a command-line interface to the
22       configuration of Perl modules.  By "configuration", we mean something
23       akin to "user preferences" or "local settings".  This is a
24       formalization and abstraction of the systems that people like Andreas
25       Koenig ("CPAN::Config"), Jon Swartz ("HTML::Mason::Config"), Andy
26       Wardley ("Template::Config"), and Larry Wall (perl's own Config.pm)
27       have developed independently.
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29       The configuration system emplyed here was developed in the context of
30       "Module::Build".  Under this system, configuration information for a
31       module "Foo", for example, is stored in a module called
32       "Foo::ConfigData") (I would have called it "Foo::Config", but that was
33       taken by all those other systems mentioned in the previous
34       paragraph...).  These "...::ConfigData" modules contain the
35       configuration data, as well as publically accessible methods for
36       querying and setting (yes, actually re-writing) the configuration data.
37       The "config_data" script (whose docs you are currently reading) is
38       merely a front-end for those methods.  If you wish, you may create
39       alternate front-ends.
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41       The two types of data that may be stored are called "config" values and
42       "feature" values.  A "config" value may be any perl scalar, including
43       references to complex data structures.  It must, however, be
44       serializable using "Data::Dumper".  A "feature" is a boolean (1 or 0)
45       value.
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USAGE

48       This script functions as a basic getter/setter wrapper around the
49       configuration of a single module.  On the command line, specify which
50       module's configuration you're interested in, and pass options to get or
51       set "config" or "feature" values.  The following options are supported:
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53       module
54           Specifies the name of the module to configure (required).
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56       feature
57           When passed the name of a "feature", shows its value.  The value
58           will be 1 if the feature is enabled, 0 if the feature is not
59           enabled, or empty if the feature is unknown.  When no feature name
60           is supplied, the names and values of all known features will be
61           shown.
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63       config
64           When passed the name of a "config" entry, shows its value.  The
65           value will be displayed using "Data::Dumper" (or similar) as perl
66           code.  When no config name is supplied, the names and values of all
67           known config entries will be shown.
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69       set_feature
70           Sets the given "feature" to the given boolean value.  Specify the
71           value as either 1 or 0.
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73       set_config
74           Sets the given "config" entry to the given value.
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76       eval
77           If the "--eval" option is used, the values in "set_config" will be
78           evaluated as perl code before being stored.  This allows moderately
79           complicated data structures to be stored.  For really complicated
80           structures, you probably shouldn't use this command-line interface,
81           just use the Perl API instead.
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83       help
84           Prints a help message, including a few examples, and exits.
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AUTHOR

87       Ken Williams, kwilliams@cpan.org
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90       Copyright (c) 1999, Ken Williams.  All rights reserved.
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92       This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
93       under the same terms as Perl itself.
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SEE ALSO

96       Module::Build(3), perl(1).
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100perl v5.12.4                      2011-11-04                    CONFIG_DATA(1)
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