NAME

Unicode::Lite - Library for easy charset convertion

SYNOPSIS

use Unicode::Lite;

print convert( 'latin1', 'unicode', "hello world!" );

local *lat2uni = convertor( 'latin1', 'unicode' );
print lat2uni( "hello world!" );

my $lat2uni = convertor( 'latin1', 'unicode' );
print &$lat2uni( "hello world!" );

DESCRIPTION

This module includes string converting function from one and to another charset. Requires installed Unicode::String and Unicode::Map packages.

Supported unicode charsets: unicode, utf16, ucs2, utf8, utf7, ucs4, uchr, uhex.

Supported Single-Byte Charsets (SBCS): latin1 and all installed maps in Unicode::Map package.

FUNCTIONS

convertor SRC_CP DST_CP [FLGS] [CHAR]

Creates convertor function and returns reference to her, for further fast direct call.

The param FLGS operates replacing by SBCS->SBCS converting if any char from SRC_CP is absent at DST_CP. The order of search of substitution:

UL_7BT - to equivalent 7bit char or sequence of 7bit chars
UL_SEQ - to equivalent char or sequence of chars
UL_EQV - to equivalent char

UL_ENT - to entity - �
UL_CHR - to [CHAR].
UL_ALL - UL_SEQ or UL_EQV and UL_ENT or UL_CHR

If flag UL_CHR or UL_ENT is not specified, absent chars will be deleted. Param CHAR used for replacing of absent chars. If CHAR is not specified, will be used '?' char.

If you are getting message "Character Set '' not defined!", run the script test.pl from distribution.

convert SRC_CP DST_CP [VAR] [FLGS] [CHAR]

Convert VAR from SRC_CP codepage to DST_CP codepage and returns converted string.

addequal UNICODES...

The function adds a rule for equivalent char finding. Params is a list of hex unicodes of chars. For substitution on a sequence of characters, the codes of characters need to be connected in character '+'.

addequal( qw/2026 2E+2E+2E 3A/ ); # ELLIPSIS ... :

Note! Work of rules for finding of equivalent char is cascade:

2500 002D      # - -
2550 2500      # = -

2550 2500 002D # = - -

The following rules are correct for converting functions:

VAR may be SCALAR or REF to SCALAR.
If VAR is REF to SCALAR then SCALAR will be converted.
If VAR is omitted, uses $_.
If function called to void context and VAR is not REF then result placed to $_.

EXAMPLES

$_ = "drüben, Straße";
convert 'latin1', 'latin1', $_, UL_7BT;
convert 'latin1', 'latin2', $_, UL_SEQ|UL_CHR, '?';
convert 'latin1', 'latin2', $_, UL_SEQ|UL_ENT, '?';

# EQVIVALENT CALLS:

local *lat2uni = convertor( 'latin1', 'unicode' );

lat2uni( $str );        # called to void context -> result placed to $_
$_ = lat2uni( $str );

lat2uni( \$str );       # called with REF to string -> direct converting
$str = lat2uni( $str );

lat2uni();              # with omitted param called -> $_ converted
lat2uni( \$_ );
$_ = lat2uni( $_ );

AUTHOR

Albert MICHEEV <amichauer@cpan.org>

COPYRIGHT

Copyright (C) 2000, Albert MICHEEV

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

AVAILABILITY

The latest version of this library is likely to be available from:

http://www.perl.com/CPAN

SEE ALSO

Unicode::String, Unicode::Map.