NAME

Parse::Template - Template Processor (0.3)

SYNOPSIS

 use Parse::Template;

 my %template = 
   (
    'TOP' =>  q!before <<$template->eval('DATA')>> after!,
    'DATA' => q!Insert data: ! .
              q!1. List: <<"@list$N">>! .
              q!2. Hash: <<"$hash{'key_value'}$N">>! .
              q!3. Sub: <<&SUB()$N>>!
   );

 my $tmplt = new Parse::Template (\%template);
 open FH, "< foo";

 $tmplt->env('var' => '(value!)');
 $tmplt->env('list' => [1, 2, 10], 
               'N' => "\n",
             'tmplt' => \$tmplt, 
             'FH' => \*FH,
             'SUB' => sub { "->content generated by a sub<-" },
             'hash' => { 'key_value' => q!It's an hash value! });
 print $tmplt->eval('TOP'), "\n";

DESCRIPTION

Parse::Template permits evaluating Perl expressions placed within a template. These expressions must be surrounded by << and >>, and they are evaluated within an environment specific to each instance of the Parse::Template class.

Parse::Template creates a class specific to each instance. This class inherits from the class Parse::Template and contains the environment that is specific to the template.

The env() method permits constructing the required evaluation environment. Each entry must be specified using a key consisting of the name of the symbol to be created, associated with a reference whose type is that of entry to be created (for example, a reference to an array to create an array). A scalar variable is defined by declaring the name of the variable, associated with its value. A scalar variable containing a reference is defined by writing 'var' => \$variable, where $variable is a lexical variable that contains the reference.

This package was initially created to serve as a code generator for the Parse::Lex class. You will find examples of its use in the classes Parse::Lex et Parse::CLex.

METHODS

new HASH

Constructor for the class.

env HASH

env SYMBOL

Permits defining the environment that is specific to a template. env(SYMBOL) returns the reference associated with the symbol, or undef if the symbol is not defined. The reference that is returned is of the type indicated by the character (&, $, %, @, *) that prefixes the symbol.

Example:

$tmplt->env('LIST' => [1, 2, 3])}   Defines a list

@{$tmplt->env('*LIST')}             Returns the list

@{$tmplt->env('@LIST')}             Ditto

getPart PART_LABEL

Returns the designated part of the template.

ppregexp REGEXP

Preprocesses a regular expression so that it can be inserted into a template where the regular expression delimiter is either the character "/" or the character "!".

setPart PART_LABEL => TEXT

A template is defined by a hash (associative array). setPart() permits defining a new entry within this hash.

undef

Permits destroying a template instance (see BUGS).

NOTES CONCERNING THE CURRENT VERSION

This is an experimental module. Send me your comments.

BUGS

An instance is not destroyed when the variable within which it is placed is itself destroyed. This is because this instance is also referenced within its class. Therefore, don't use this class to create a large number of instances, or if possible, use the undef() method.

AUTHOR

Philippe Verdret

COPYRIGHT

Copyright (c) 1995-1998 Philippe Verdret. All rights reserved. This module is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.