NAME

Filter::BoxString - Describe your multiline strings as text boxes.

SYNOPSIS

	use Filter::BoxString;

       # Trailing whitespace preserved
       my $list = +---------------+
                  | 1. Milk       |
                  | 2. Eggs       |
                  | 3. Apples     |
                  +---------------+;

    # Trailing whitespace dropped
    my $noodles = +-----------------------+
                  | Ramen
                  | Shirataki
                  | Soba
                  | Somen
                  | Udon
                  +;

        my $xml = +---------------------------------------+
                  |<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
                  |  <item>Milk</item>
                  |  <item>Eggs</item>
                  |  <item>Apples</item>
                  |</shopping_list>
                  +---------------------------------------+;


    my $beatles = +
                  | Love Me Do
                  | I wanna hold your hand
                  | Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
                  | Penny Lane
                  +------------------------------+;

        my $sql = +
                  | SELECT *
                  | FROM the_table
                  | WHERE this = 'that'
                  | AND those = 'these'
                  | ORDER BY things ASC
                  +;

  my $metachars = +------------------------------------------------------------+
                  | \\  Quote the next metacharacter
                  | ^  Match the beginning of the line
                  | .  Match any character (except newline)
                  | \$  Match the end of the line (or before newline at the end)
                  | |  Alternation
                  | () Grouping
                  | [] Character class
                  +------------------------------------------------------------+;

  my $gibberish = +-----------------------------------+
                  | +!@#\$%^&*()_|"?><{}>~=-\'/.,[]
                  | +=!@#$%^&*()_-|\"':;?/>.<,}]{[><~`
                  +-----------------------------------+;

 my $nested_box = +-------------+
                  |             |
                  | \$a = +---+  |
                  |      | z |  |
                  |      +---+; |
                  |             |
                  +-------------+;

DESCRIPTION

This filter allows you to describe multiline strings in your code using ASCII art style boxes. Underneath it all, this filter transforms your box-string to the equivilent here-doc.

The purpose is purely aesthetic. Please enjoy.

BUGS AND LIMITATIONS

The methodology is based on creating a regular expression out of your box-string and then using that regex to swap in the equivilent here-doc code. Perhaps you can devise some box-string content which can break my filter. Please try it, and let me know if you succeed.

AUTHOR

Dylan Doxey <dylan.doxey@gmail.com>

COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE

Copyright (C) 2008 by Dylan Doxey

This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself, either Perl version 5.8.8 or, at your option, any later version of Perl 5 you may have available.