1Config::Watch(3) User Contributed Perl Documentation Config::Watch(3)
2
3
4
6 Log::Log4perl::Config::Watch - Detect file changes
7
9 use Log::Log4perl::Config::Watch;
10
11 my $watcher = Log::Log4perl::Config::Watch->new(
12 file => "/data/my.conf",
13 check_interval => 30,
14 );
15
16 while(1) {
17 if($watcher->change_detected()) {
18 print "Change detected!\n";
19 }
20 sleep(1);
21 }
22
24 This module helps detecting changes in files. Although it comes with
25 the "Log::Log4perl" distribution, it can be used independently.
26
27 The constructor defines the file to be watched and the check interval
28 in seconds. Subsequent calls to change_detected() will
29
30 • return a false value immediately without doing physical file checks
31 if "check_interval" hasn't elapsed.
32
33 • perform a physical test on the specified file if the number of
34 seconds specified in "check_interval" have elapsed since the last
35 physical check. If the file's modification date has changed since
36 the last physical check, it will return a true value, otherwise a
37 false value is returned.
38
39 Bottom line: "check_interval" allows you to call the function
40 change_detected() as often as you like, without paying the performing a
41 significant performance penalty because file system operations are
42 being performed (however, you pay the price of not knowing about file
43 changes until "check_interval" seconds have elapsed).
44
45 The module clearly distinguishes system time from file system time. If
46 your (e.g. NFS mounted) file system is off by a constant amount of time
47 compared to the executing computer's clock, it'll just work fine.
48
49 To disable the resource-saving delay feature, just set "check_interval"
50 to 0 and change_detected() will run a physical file test on every call.
51
52 If you already have the current time available, you can pass it on to
53 change_detected() as an optional parameter, like in
54
55 change_detected($time)
56
57 which then won't trigger a call to time(), but use the value provided.
58
59 SIGNAL MODE
60 Instead of polling time and file changes, new() can be instructed to
61 set up a signal handler. If you call the constructor like
62
63 my $watcher = Log::Log4perl::Config::Watch->new(
64 file => "/data/my.conf",
65 signal => 'HUP'
66 );
67
68 then a signal handler will be installed, setting the object's variable
69 "$self->{signal_caught}" to a true value when the signal arrives.
70 Comes with all the problems that signal handlers go along with.
71
72 TRIGGER CHECKS
73 To trigger a physical file check on the next call to change_detected()
74 regardless if "check_interval" has expired or not, call
75
76 $watcher->force_next_check();
77
78 on the watcher object.
79
80 DETECT MOVED FILES
81 The watcher can also be used to detect files that have moved. It will
82 not only detect if a watched file has disappeared, but also if it has
83 been replaced by a new file in the meantime.
84
85 my $watcher = Log::Log4perl::Config::Watch->new(
86 file => "/data/my.conf",
87 check_interval => 30,
88 );
89
90 while(1) {
91 if($watcher->file_has_moved()) {
92 print "File has moved!\n";
93 }
94 sleep(1);
95 }
96
97 The parameters "check_interval" and "signal" limit the number of
98 physical file system checks, similarily as with change_detected().
99
101 Copyright 2002-2013 by Mike Schilli <m@perlmeister.com> and Kevin Goess
102 <cpan@goess.org>.
103
104 This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
105 under the same terms as Perl itself.
106
108 Please contribute patches to the project on Github:
109
110 http://github.com/mschilli/log4perl
111
112 Send bug reports or requests for enhancements to the authors via our
113
114 MAILING LIST (questions, bug reports, suggestions/patches):
115 log4perl-devel@lists.sourceforge.net
116
117 Authors (please contact them via the list above, not directly): Mike
118 Schilli <m@perlmeister.com>, Kevin Goess <cpan@goess.org>
119
120 Contributors (in alphabetical order): Ateeq Altaf, Cory Bennett, Jens
121 Berthold, Jeremy Bopp, Hutton Davidson, Chris R. Donnelly, Matisse
122 Enzer, Hugh Esco, Anthony Foiani, James FitzGibbon, Carl Franks, Dennis
123 Gregorovic, Andy Grundman, Paul Harrington, Alexander Hartmaier David
124 Hull, Robert Jacobson, Jason Kohles, Jeff Macdonald, Markus Peter,
125 Brett Rann, Peter Rabbitson, Erik Selberg, Aaron Straup Cope, Lars
126 Thegler, David Viner, Mac Yang.
127
128
129
130perl v5.36.0 2023-01-20 Config::Watch(3)