NAME

Games::CroqueMonster - An interface for the French web game CroqueMonster.

VERSION

Version 0.8.1-2

SYNOPSIS

This module implements the 0.8.1 version of the CroqueMonster web game (http://www.croquemonster.com).

I decided to give version number of this module after the CroqueMonster API's own version number. I think it is easier for peoples to know what API version this module implements.

The number after the dash (-) is this module own version (0.8.1-1 means this is the first version of this module implementing the version 0.8.1 of CroqueMonster's API).

There is few required dependencies (all available from CPAN) : LWP::Simple and XML::Simple.

use Games::CroqueMonster;

my $cm = Games::CroqueMonster->new(agency_name => 'UglyBeasts');
my $agency_info = $cm->agency();

So far the CroqueMonster's API only allow to retrieve informations, but maybe in some uncertain futur it will be possible to take actions with it...

Technically speaking, this module interacts with a webb service. So you cannot get a fully functionnal game with this module alone, only easily create interfaces for the game itself.

CONSTRUCTOR

new

This is the object constructor. It takes the following optionnal parameters :

* api_key : your CroqueMonster API password
* agency_name : the agency name
* syndicate_name : the syndicate name

METHODS

Publicly available data access methods

agency

Implements: http://www.croquemonster.com/api/help#h2n3n1 (page in french) Take one parameter : the name of the agency (this is not mandatory if constructor's agency_name parameter was filled).

my $agency = $cm->agency('UglyBeasts') ;

On success, the returned hashref look like that :

	$VAR1 = {
		'agency' => {
			'failedA' => '0',
			'contractsD' => '0',
			'contractsA' => '9',
			'reputation' => '135',
			'failedC' => '0',
			'gold' => '490',
			'id' => '383869',
			'maxMonsters' => '7',
			'failedD' => '0',
			'scared' => '8',
			'portails' => '1',
			'failedB' => '0',
			'name' => 'UglyBeasts',
			'score' => '91',
			'description' => {'Here we are hiring only the ugliest and the more saddistics monsters !'},
			'contractsB' => '0',
			'days' => '2',
			'monsters' => '4',
			'level' => '3',
			'devoured' => '1',
			'mails' => '0',
			'contractsC' => '0',
			'cities' => '3'
		}
        };

The following keys are present only when you provide a valid "api_key" :

* gold
* mails

On error it looks like that :

$VAR1 = {
	'err' => {
			'error' => 'API access disabled',
			should_retry => 0,
		}
	};

Please see the ERRORS, section for a list of all error strings.

syndicate

Implements: http://www.croquemonster.com/api/help#h2n3n2 (in french)

Take one parameter : the name of the agency (this is not mandatory if constructor's agency_name parameter was filled).

my $syndicate = $cm->syndicate('Tenebrae') ;

On success, the returned hashref look like that (When you see [...] it just means that there was too many data and I cutted some) :

$VAR1 = {
	'syndicate' => {
			'co2' => '2736',
			'co2bonus' => '105',
			'name' => 'ChupAngelic',
			'score' => '4374',
			'description' => "
				<p><img src=\"http://img128.imageshack.us/img128/9388/extrabanretouchetitreenvl0.jpg\" alt=\"Image\"/></p>
				<h1>Origines</h1>
				<p><strong>D-Tritus</strong> \x{2026} plan\x{e8}te hostile, peupl\x{e9}e en surnombre par des monstres de tout horizon. 
				[...]
				<p>27/04/08: Hordal was here...directeur du syndicat le temps de booster la mont\x{e9}e du tas d'ordures. Mission r\x{e9}ussie!</p>
				",
			'war' => [
				'1235',
				{
					'date' => '2008-01-28 08:31:50',
					'name' => 'Soul Society',
					'id' => '1'
				},
				[...]
				{
					'date' => '2008-09-08 21:15:57',
					'name' => 'One Piece',
					'id' => '2650'
				}
				],
			'days' => '381',
			'co2max' => '2631',
			'agency' => {
				'Kakarott13' => {
							'level' => '20',
							'reputation' => '99529',
							'score' => '102754',
							'id' => '41550'
						},
				[...]
				'hedu89' => {
							'level' => '29',
							'reputation' => '609505',
							'score' => '359193',
							'id' => '41692'
					}
				},
			'id' => '796',
			'influence' => '403'
		}
	};

The first value of the war array reference ( $VAR1->{syndicate}->{war}->[0] ) is the syndicate war score (points won during wars).

Please see ERRORS section for values returned on error.

items

Implements: http://www.croquemonster.com/api/help#h2n3n3

Return the list of all game's usable items. Those one can be used to improved your monsters.

Takes no parameters.

my $items = $cm->items() ;

On success, the returned hashref look like that (When you see [...] it just means that there was too many data and I cutted some) :

$VAR1 = {
	'items' => {
		'item' => {
			'11' => {
				'name' => "R\x{e9}gime di\x{e9}t\x{e9}tique",
				'id' => '11',
				'image' => '/gfx/tech/icone_regime.gif'
				},
			[...]
			'5' => {
				'name' => "Insectes dress\x{e9}s",
				'id' => '5',
				'image' => '/gfx/tech/icone_insecte.gif'
				}
			}
		}
	};

Path representing the item image is relative to http://www.croquemonster.com.

Please see ERRORS section for values returned on error.

Private informations access methods

Those methods cannot be called without filling the api_key and agency_name constructor's parameters (well... you can call them but they will end in error).

monsters

Implements: http://www.croquemonster.com/api/help#h2n4n2

Takes no parameters.

On success, the returned hashref look like that (When you see [...] it just means that there was too many data and I cutted some) :

$VAR1 = {
	'monsters' => {
			'monster' => {
				'2195056' => {
						'fight' => '0',
						'fusions' => '0',
						'contractItems' => '',
						'endurance' => '2',
						'permanentItems' => '',
						'successes' => '1',
						'power' => '0',
						'ugliness' => '0',
						'id' => '2195056',
						'fatigue' => '1',
						'control' => '0',
						'failures' => '0',
						'contract' => '239582559',
						'bounty' => '0',
						'name' => 'UB0004',
						'greediness' => '1',
						'sadism' => '0',
						'firePrize' => '1440',
						'swfjs' => 'http://www.croquemonster.com/monster/drawSWF.js?face=Gfu2_cYikII05c7Wd:I7aIVqfmM8SSu7Pf_',
						'devoured' => '1'
						},
				[...]
				'2187820' => {
						'fight' => '0',
						'fusions' => '0',
						'contractItems' => '',
						'endurance' => '1',
						'permanentItems' => '15',
						'successes' => '2',
						'power' => '1',
						'ugliness' => '1',
						'id' => '2187820',
						'fatigue' => '0',
						'control' => '2',
						'failures' => '1',
						'contract' => '239582555',
						'bounty' => '0',
						'name' => 'UB0001',
						'greediness' => '0',
						'sadism' => '0',
						'firePrize' => '2640',
						'swfjs' => 'http://www.croquemonster.com/monster/drawSWF.js?face=Gfu2_d:aHLI05c7md:s7bIVqfmk8SSKgieq',
						'devoured' => '0'
						}
				},
			'id' => '383869',
			'agency' => 'UglyBeasts'
		}
	};

Please see ERRORS section for values returned on error.

portals

Implements: http://www.croquemonster.com/api/help#h2n4n3

Takes no parameters.

On success, the returned hashref look like that (When you see [...] it just means that there was too many data and I cutted some) :

$VAR1 = {
	'portails' => {
			'portail' => {
				'1141215' => {
						'country' => 'Allemagne',
						'city' => 'Saarbruck',
						'level' => '1',
						'timezone' => '0',
						'defense' => '0',
						'id' => '1141215'
						},
				'1160353' => {
						'country' => 'Etats-Unis',
						'city' => 'Columbus',
						'level' => '1',
						'timezone' => '-6',
						'defense' => '0',
						'id' => '1160353'
						}
				},
			'id' => '383869',
			'agency' => 'UglyBeasts'
		}
	};

Please see ERRORS section for values returned on error.

contracts

Implements: http://www.croquemonster.com/api/help#h2n4n4

Takes no parameters.

On success, the returned hashref look like that (When you see [...] it just means that there was too many data and I cutted some) :

$VAR1 = {
	'contracts' => {
			'contract' => {
				'239582560' => {
						'country' => 'Allemagne',
						'difficulty' => '2',
						'timezone' => '0',
						'name' => 'Marine',
						'greediness' => '0',
						'age' => '4',
						'sex' => '1',
						'city' => 'Saarbruck',
						'sadism' => '0',
						'accepted' => 'false',
						'power' => '0',
						'id' => '239582560',
						'ugliness' => '0',
						'countdown' => '10275',
						'prize' => '135'
						},
				[...]
				'239582555' => {
						'country' => 'Allemagne',
						'difficulty' => '6',
						'timezone' => '1',
						'name' => 'Mathis',
						'greediness' => '0',
						'age' => '7',
						'sex' => '0',
						'city' => 'Mannheim',
						'sadism' => '0',
						'monster' => '2187820',
						'accepted' => 'true',
						'power' => '1',
						'id' => '239582555',
						'ugliness' => '0',
						'countdown' => '6675',
						'prize' => '570'
						}
				},
			'paradox' => {
				'level' => '1',
				'next' => '2008-09-13 07:31:52'
				},
			'id' => '383869',
			'agency' => 'UglyBeasts'
		}
	};

Please see ERRORS section for values returned on error.

inventory

Implements: http://www.croquemonster.com/api/help#h2n4n5

Takes no parameters.

On success, the returned hashref look like that (When you see [...] it just means that there was too many data and I cutted some) :

$VAR1 = {
	'inventory' => {
			'factory' => {
				'next' => [
						{
						'name' => "Cr\x{e8}me \x{e0} acn\x{e9}",
						'id' => '2',
						'end' => '2008-10-28 08:33:50'
						},
						{
						'name' => "Cr\x{e8}me \x{e0} acn\x{e9}",
						'id' => '3',
						'end' => '2008-10-28 08:35:50'
						}
					],
				'name' => "Cr\x{e8}me \x{e0} acn\x{e9}",
				'id' => '1',
				'end' => '2008-10-28 08:31:50'
				},
			'resource' => {
				'1' => {
					'name' => 'Chaussette sale',
					'id' => '1',
					'qty' => '2'
					},
				'2' => {
					'name' => 'petite voiture',
					'id' => '2',
					'qty' => '1'
					}
				},
			'item' => {
				'1' => {
					'name' => "Cr\x{e8}me \x{e0} acn\x{e9}",
					'id' => '1',
					'qty' => '3'
					},
				'2' => {
					'name' => "Ombres port\x{e9}es",
					'id' => '2',
					'qty' => '3'
					}
				},
			'id' => 'ID agence',
			'agency' => 'NOM Agence'
		}
	};

Please see ERRORS section for values returned on error.

ERRORS

When a call end up in error, a hash reference is returned. This hashref look like this :

$VAR1 = {
	'err' => {
			'error' => '<error string>',
			'should_retry' => 0|1
		}
	};

The error string can be :

* Unknown user : the agency name does not exist.
* Unknown syndicate : the syndicate name does not exist
* API access disabled : user have not activates the API key (it is done on the web account).
* Bad password : API key is not correct.
* Timezone opened : every hours, a timezone is opened and the website block all users for few seconds. You should wait a little an retry.

For all those errors the 'should_retry' parameter is set to 0 (false), but for "Timezone opened" wich is a temporary error and the application should wait a little and retry.

AUTHOR

Arnaud Dupuis, <a.dupuis at infinityperl.org>

BUGS

Please report any bugs or feature requests to bug-games-croquemonster at rt.cpan.org, or through the web interface at http://rt.cpan.org/NoAuth/ReportBug.html?Queue=Games-CroqueMonster. I will be notified, and then you'll automatically be notified of progress on your bug as I make changes.

SUPPORT

You can find documentation for this module with the perldoc command.

perldoc Games::CroqueMonster

You can also look for information at:

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

COPYRIGHT & LICENSE

Copyright 2008-2010 Arnaud Dupuis, all rights reserved.

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.