NAME

bitflags::ct - = bitflags + grouping

SYNOPSIS

Group of Flags by handle variable

package A1;

require Exporter;
EXPPORT_OK = qw( getmask $mc1 $mc2 );
our ($mc1,$mc2);
use bitflags::ct {handle=>\$mc1}, qw(I1 I2 I3 ...);
use bitflags::ct {handle=>\$mc2}, qw(J1 J2 J3 ...);

package C1;

use A1 qw(getmask $mc1 $mc2);
$u = $mc1->getmask(qw(K3 K5 K11 ...));
$v = $mc2->getmask(qw(L3 L8 L5 ...));

Group of Flags by handle constant

package A2;

require Exporter;
EXPPORT_OK = qw( getmask fgroupG fgroupH );
use bitflags::ct { handle => 'fgroupG' }, qw(I1 I2 I3 ...);
use bitflags::ct { handle => 'fgroupH' }, qw(J1 J2 J3 ...);

package C2;

use A2 qw( getmask fgroupG fgroupH );
$u = fgroupG->getmask(qw(K3 K5 K11 ...));
$v = fgroupH->getmask(qw(L3 L8 L5 ...));

Group associated to module name

package A3;

use bitflags::ct qw(K1 K2 ...);

Series of constants K1,K2,K3 ... now available with values 1,2,4,..

do  something with constants K1, K3|~K4 and the like
sub f
{
    $v = getmask A @_
    ...
}

package B3;

use bitflags::ct qw(L1 L2 ...);

sub g
{
    $w = getmask B @_
    ...
}

package C3;

use A3;
use B3;
A3::f(qw(K3 K5 K11 ...));    # sample choices
B3::g(qw(L3 L8 L5 ...));

Inside A3::f from $v=getmask A3 @_ the arguments arrive as K3|K5|K11, Likewise B3::g from $w=getmask B3 @_ as L3|L8|L5.

DESCRIPTION

Have a look at pragma 'bitflag' before reading this. If just one group of names for different bitflags are considered in an application then module 'bitflags' is the slim solution. Only if different groups of bitflags need either distinct namespaces or individual options this class is the right solution.

When necessity arise to upgrade from using 'bitflag' to 'bitflag::ct' this can easily be done: If a second group will be required in the same package, handles must be introduced, one for each group. This handle can be referred to either by a variable or a constant. Code-snippets before upgrade look like

package A;
use bitflags qw(V1 V2 ...);         (1)     define in package A

package C;
A:getmask qw(...);                  (2)     call from package C

upgrading replaces above code lines (1),(2) by

use bitflags::ct {handle=>\$vhandle} qw(V1 V2 ...); (1)
$vhandle->getmask qw(...);                          (2)

or by

use bitflags::ct {handle=>'hc'} qw(V1 V2 ...);      (1)
hc->getmask qw(...);                                (2)

If the second group is located in another package, say B, the clause use bitflags::ct can be applied without 'handle' in which case the package names A, B shall replace the handle object in front of its method getmask. Doing so, a default handle is automatically created for the surrounding package. When expression A->gethandle(...) gets evaluated by the interpreter, the token A first will be substituted by the default handle provided in package A.

OPTIONS

As with bitflags a hash may be given as first argument in order to specify options. Option names sm and ic are described in manpage bitflags, the new option handle was presented now. A further new option is

alias => \&reducer

Similar to 'ic' this allow using alias definitions of the flagnames when used as arguments of getmask. That is, if a bitflag name, say 'CHECK_X', is introduced with

use bitflags::ct ... CHECK_X ...

a string $cx is accepted as CHECK_X, if reducer($cx)=reducer('CHECK_X'). The string representation of the builtin functions uc,lc,ucfirst can be used as reducers in place of sub {uc $_[0]}, ....

AUTHOR

Josef Schönbrunner <j.schoenbrunner@schule.at>

COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE

Copyright (c) 2008 by Josef Schönbrunner This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself, either Perl version 5.8.7 or, at your option, any later version of Perl 5 you may have available.