NAME
Data::Annotation - Analyze data iptables-like
VERSION
This document describes Data::Annotation version 0.006.
SYNOPSIS
use Data::Annotation;
my %definition = (...);
my $da = Data::Annotation->new(\%definition);
my %data = (...);
my $annotation = $da->evaluate(\%data);DESCRIPTION
Generic framework for defining iptables-like chains of rules, apply them on data and get back an overall annotation about it. This annotation can be whatever, e.g. strings accept and reject (following the spirit of iptables) or more complicated stuff like data structures describing whatever has been analyzed.
The definition is a hash with the following high-level structure:
my %da_def = (
chains: => \%hash_of_chains,
default => 'some annotation',
description => 'string...',
'condition-parse-context' => \%hash_of_configurations,
);This high level is much like a table in iptables, containing a number of chains below. default represents the default annotation if none of the chains provides any result back, much like the POLICY in a table in iptables. The parse_context provides some more kick for generating a function but it's totally optional, much like the description.
A chain has the following structure:
my %chain = (
rules => \@rules,
description => 'string...',
'condition-parse-context' => \%hash_of_configurations,
);A chain is a sequence of rules, which will be analyzed in order, much like what happens in iptables.
A rule has the following structure:
my %rule = (
condition => <expression/expression-definition/plain-scalar>,
return => <call/goto/whatever else>
description => 'string...',
'condition-parse-context' => \%hash_of_configurations,
);When a rule is evaluated, the condition is checked first. It can be a plain scalar, in which case it's considered a boolean value, or a hash definition, which will be inflated via Data::Annotation::Expression, or a sub reference that accepts a runtime context that most of the time will be a hash reference of sort.
If the condition gives a true value, the return value is provided back as the result of the rule and. This result can be almost anything:
if it's a hash reference, it should only contain one single key/value pair, with allowed keys:
call: call another chain (name from value) from the beginning like it were a single rule. If the called chain does not provide a result, continue processing the current chain from the following rule.goto: stop processing the current chain and move on to the start of another chain (name provided as value).result: value is the result for the whole annotation (i.e. it will exit the rule, the chain and the annotation evaluations).
anything else is taken at face value and used as the
resultabove.
A result can be anything, even a hash reference (provided it's wrapped into another hash reference with key result). In the most basic case, it will be a bunch of labels, e.g. accept or reject, but it can also be something more sophisticated like a list of characteristics or a whole complex data structure.
Full definition example:
description: some policy of sort
default: reject
default-chain: foo
chains:
foo:
description: an example chain
rules:
- return: accept
condition:
eq: [ '.from', '=foobar@example.com' ]
bar:
rules:
- return: accept
condition:
'=~': [ '.to', '=(?mxs:\A barbaz)' ]INTERFACE
Constructor
new
my $da1 = Data::Annotation->new(%definition); # OR
my $da2 = Data::Annotation->new(\%definition);Constructor. See "DESCRIPTION" for the format of the definition.
Accessors
chains
my $href = $da->chains;A hash reference of chains, indexed by name. This name is the same that can be used by rules in results like {name => ...} and { goto => ... }.
default_chain
my $chain_name = $da->default_chain;The default chain to use if an "evaluate" call is done on a chain that is not known.
default_retval
my $retval = $da->default_retval;The default result (annotation) value returned when none of the rules that are checked as part of a call to "evaluate" provides anything meaningful back.
Initialized by key default in the constructor.
description
my $text = $da->description;An optional description for the Data::Annotation definition. It will be useful for you in a couple of months, after you forgot everything about it.
parse_context
my $ctx = $da->parse_context;Whatever was passed as argument condition-parse-context, which can help set the stage for condition parsing. This should not be generally needed, but still. See Data::Annotation::Expression for more details.
Methods
chains_list
Get the sorted list of chains (as strings).
evaluate
my $result = $da->evaluate($chain_name, $data);Evaluate the annotation for some $data, starting at chain named $chain_name.
has_chain_for
my $bool = $da->has_chain_for($chain_name);Check if there is a chain definition whose name is $chain_nameo
inflate_chains
$da->inflate_chains;Make sure all input chain definitions are inflated, i.e. turned into "Data::Annotation::Chain" objects. This makes sure the definitions parse correctly.
overlay_cloak
my $overlay = $da->overlay_cloak($data, %opts);Shorthand to the constructor for "Data::Annotation::Overlay", passing $data as the under option and then the rest of %opts:
BUGS AND LIMITATIONS
Minimul perl version 5.24.
Report bugs through Codeberg (patches welcome) at https://codeberg.org/polettix/Data-Annotation.
AUTHOR
Flavio Poletti <flavio@polettix.it>
COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE
Copyright 2024 by Flavio Poletti <flavio@polettix.it>
Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at
http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations under the License.
Just to be clear: apache-2.0