NAME

Data::Serializer::Raw - Provides unified raw interface to perl serializers

SYNOPSIS

  use Data::Serializer::Raw;
                
  $obj = Data::Serializer::Raw->new();
                
  $obj = Data::Serializer::Raw->new(serializer => 'Storable');
  $serialized = $obj->serialize({a => [1,2,3],b => 5});
  $deserialized = $obj->deserialize($serialized);
  print "$deserialized->{b}\n";

DESCRIPTION

Provides a unified interface to the various serializing modules currently available.

This is a straight pass through to the underlying serializer, nothing else is done. (no encoding, encryption, compression, etc)

EXAMPLES

Please see Data::Serializer::Cookbook(3)

METHODS

new - constructor

  $obj = Data::Serializer::Raw->new();
  $obj = Data::Serializer::Raw->new(
                         serializer => 'Data::Dumper',
                           options  => {},
                        );

new is the constructor object for Data::Serializer::Raw objects.

The default serializer is "Data::Dumper"
The default options is "{}" (pass nothing on to serializer)

serialize - serialize reference

  $serialized = $obj->serialize({a => [1,2,3],b => 5});

This is a straight pass through to the underlying serializer, nothing else is done. (no encoding, encryption, compression, etc)

deserialize - deserialize reference

  $deserialized = $obj->deserialize($serialized);

This is a straight pass through to the underlying serializer, nothing else is done. (no encoding, encryption, compression, etc)

serializer - change the serializer

Currently supports the following serializers:

Default is to use Data::Dumper.

Each serializer has its own caveat's about usage especially when dealing with cyclical data structures or CODE references. Please see the appropriate documentation in those modules for further information.

options - pass options through to underlying serializer

Currently is only supported by Config::General(3), and XML::Dumper(3).

  my $obj = Data::Serializer::Raw->new(serializer => 'Config::General',
                                  options    => {
                                             -LowerCaseNames       => 1,
                                             -UseApacheInclude     => 1,
                                             -MergeDuplicateBlocks => 1,
                                             -AutoTrue             => 1,
                                             -InterPolateVars      => 1
                                                },
                                              ) or die "$!\n";
  or
  my $obj = Data::Serializer::Raw->new(serializer => 'XML::Dumper',
                                  options    => { dtd => 1, }
                                  ) or die "$!\n";

store - serialize data and write it to a file (or file handle)

  $obj->store({a => [1,2,3],b => 5},$file, [$mode, $perm]);
  or 
  $obj->store({a => [1,2,3],b => 5},$fh);

Serializes the reference specified using the serialize method and writes it out to the specified file or filehandle.

If a file path is specified you may specify an optional mode and permission as the next two arguments. See IO::File for examples.

Trips an exception if it is unable to write to the specified file.

retrieve - read data from file (or file handle) and return it after deserialization

  my $ref = $obj->retrieve($file);
  or 
  my $ref = $obj->retrieve($fh);

Reads first line of supplied file or filehandle and returns it deserialized.

AUTHOR

Neil Neely <neil@neely.cx>.

http://neil-neely.blogspot.com/

BUGS

Please report all bugs here:

http://rt.cpan.org/Public/Dist/Display.html?Name=Data-Serializer

COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE

This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself, either Perl version 5.8.2 or, at your option, any later version of Perl 5 you may have available.

See http://www.perl.com/language/misc/Artistic.html

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Peter Makholm took the time to profile Data::Serializer(3) and pointed out the value of having a very lean implementation that minimized overhead and just used the raw underlying serializers.