Format(3)

NAME

       DBI::Format - A package for displaying result tables

SYNOPSIS

         # create a new result object
         $r = DBI::Format->new('var1' => 'val1', ...);

         # Prepare it for output by creating a header
         $r->header($sth, $fh);

         # In a loop, display rows
         while ($ref = $sth->fetchrow_arrayref()) {
           $r->row($ref);
         }

         # Finally create a trailer
         $r->trailer();

DESCRIPTION

       THIS PACKAGE IS STILL VERY EXPERIMENTAL. THINGS WILL CHANGE.

       This package is used for making the output of DBI::Shell configurable.
       The idea is to derive a subclass for any kind of output table you might
       create. Examples are

       o       a very simple output format as offered by DBI::neat_list().
               "AVAILABLE SUBCLASSES".

       o       a box format, as offered by the Data::ShowTable module.

       o       HTML format, as used in CGI binaries

       o       postscript, to be piped into lpr or something similar

       In the future the package should also support interactive methods, for
       example tab completion.

       These are the available methods:

       new(@attr)
       new(\%attr)
               (Class method) This is the constructor. You'd rather call a
               subclass constructor. The construcor is accepting either a list
               of key/value pairs or a hash ref.

       header($sth, $fh)
               (Instance method) This is called when a new result table should
               be created to display the results of the statement handle $sth.
               The (optional) argument $fh is an IO handle (or any object sup-
               porting a print method), usually you use an IO::Wrap object for
               STDIN.

               The method will query the $sth for its NAME, NUM_OF_FIELDS,
               TYPE, SCALE and PRECISION attributes and typically print a
               header. In general you should not assume that $sth is indeed a
               DBI statement handle and better treat it as a hash ref with the
               above attributes.

       row($ref)
               (Instance method) Prints the contents of the array ref $ref.
               Usually you obtain this array ref by calling
               $sth->ffeettcchhrrooww_aarrrraayyrreeff(()).

       trailer (Instance method) Once you have passed all result rows to the
               result package, you should call the trailer method. This method
               can, for example print the number of result rows.

       First of all, you can use the DBI::Format package itself: It's not an
       abstract base class, but a very simple default using DBI::neat_list().

       Ascii boxes

       This subclass is using the Box mode of the Data::ShowTable module
       internally. Data::ShowTable(3).

       Raw

       Row is written without formating.  Columns returned in comma or user
       defined separated list.

       String

       Row is written using a string format.  Future releases will include th
       ability set the string format.

       This module is Copyright (c) 1997, 1998

           Jochen Wiedmann
           Am Eisteich 9
           72555 Metzingen
           Germany

           Email: joe@ispsoft.de
           Phone: +49 7123 14887

       The DBD::Proxy module is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
       modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.

       DBI::Shell(3), DBI(3), dbish(1)

perl v5.8.0                       2002-11-29                    DBI::Format(3)