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author | Norbert Preining <preining@logic.at> | 2010-05-12 16:54:37 +0000 |
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committer | Norbert Preining <preining@logic.at> | 2010-05-12 16:54:37 +0000 |
commit | 661c41a09e39a182865e0b51e34cc995a0dc96e8 (patch) | |
tree | 2f79bb1406e22fdcb2587be8ffda6c0c609d7932 /Master/tlpkg/tlperl/lib/DBM/Deep.pod | |
parent | b645030efc22e13c2498a1522083634ab91b2de1 (diff) |
move tlperl.straw to tlperl
git-svn-id: svn://tug.org/texlive/trunk@18210 c570f23f-e606-0410-a88d-b1316a301751
Diffstat (limited to 'Master/tlpkg/tlperl/lib/DBM/Deep.pod')
-rwxr-xr-x | Master/tlpkg/tlperl/lib/DBM/Deep.pod | 1096 |
1 files changed, 1096 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/Master/tlpkg/tlperl/lib/DBM/Deep.pod b/Master/tlpkg/tlperl/lib/DBM/Deep.pod new file mode 100755 index 00000000000..50aea5fd438 --- /dev/null +++ b/Master/tlpkg/tlperl/lib/DBM/Deep.pod @@ -0,0 +1,1096 @@ +=head1 NAME + +DBM::Deep - A pure perl multi-level hash/array DBM that supports transactions + +=head1 SYNOPSIS + + use DBM::Deep; + my $db = DBM::Deep->new( "foo.db" ); + + $db->{key} = 'value'; + print $db->{key}; + + $db->put('key' => 'value'); + print $db->get('key'); + + # true multi-level support + $db->{my_complex} = [ + 'hello', { perl => 'rules' }, + 42, 99, + ]; + + $db->begin_work; + + # Do stuff here + + $db->rollback; + $db->commit; + + tie my %db, 'DBM::Deep', 'foo.db'; + $db{key} = 'value'; + print $db{key}; + + tied(%db)->put('key' => 'value'); + print tied(%db)->get('key'); + +=head1 DESCRIPTION + +A unique flat-file database module, written in pure perl. True multi-level +hash/array support (unlike MLDBM, which is faked), hybrid OO / tie() +interface, cross-platform FTPable files, ACID transactions, and is quite fast. +Can handle millions of keys and unlimited levels without significant +slow-down. Written from the ground-up in pure perl -- this is NOT a wrapper +around a C-based DBM. Out-of-the-box compatibility with Unix, Mac OS X and +Windows. + +=head1 VERSION DIFFERENCES + +B<NOTE>: 1.0000 has significant file format differences from prior versions. +THere is a backwards-compatibility layer at C<utils/upgrade_db.pl>. Files +created by 1.0000 or higher are B<NOT> compatible with scripts using prior +versions. + +=head1 SETUP + +Construction can be done OO-style (which is the recommended way), or using +Perl's tie() function. Both are examined here. + +=head2 OO Construction + +The recommended way to construct a DBM::Deep object is to use the new() +method, which gets you a blessed I<and> tied hash (or array) reference. + + my $db = DBM::Deep->new( "foo.db" ); + +This opens a new database handle, mapped to the file "foo.db". If this +file does not exist, it will automatically be created. DB files are +opened in "r+" (read/write) mode, and the type of object returned is a +hash, unless otherwise specified (see L<OPTIONS> below). + +You can pass a number of options to the constructor to specify things like +locking, autoflush, etc. This is done by passing an inline hash (or hashref): + + my $db = DBM::Deep->new( + file => "foo.db", + locking => 1, + autoflush => 1 + ); + +Notice that the filename is now specified I<inside> the hash with +the "file" parameter, as opposed to being the sole argument to the +constructor. This is required if any options are specified. +See L<OPTIONS> below for the complete list. + +You can also start with an array instead of a hash. For this, you must +specify the C<type> parameter: + + my $db = DBM::Deep->new( + file => "foo.db", + type => DBM::Deep->TYPE_ARRAY + ); + +B<Note:> Specifing the C<type> parameter only takes effect when beginning +a new DB file. If you create a DBM::Deep object with an existing file, the +C<type> will be loaded from the file header, and an error will be thrown if +the wrong type is passed in. + +=head2 Tie Construction + +Alternately, you can create a DBM::Deep handle by using Perl's built-in +tie() function. The object returned from tie() can be used to call methods, +such as lock() and unlock(). (That object can be retrieved from the tied +variable at any time using tied() - please see L<perltie> for more info. + + my %hash; + my $db = tie %hash, "DBM::Deep", "foo.db"; + + my @array; + my $db = tie @array, "DBM::Deep", "bar.db"; + +As with the OO constructor, you can replace the DB filename parameter with +a hash containing one or more options (see L<OPTIONS> just below for the +complete list). + + tie %hash, "DBM::Deep", { + file => "foo.db", + locking => 1, + autoflush => 1 + }; + +=head2 Options + +There are a number of options that can be passed in when constructing your +DBM::Deep objects. These apply to both the OO- and tie- based approaches. + +=over + +=item * file + +Filename of the DB file to link the handle to. You can pass a full absolute +filesystem path, partial path, or a plain filename if the file is in the +current working directory. This is a required parameter (though q.v. fh). + +=item * fh + +If you want, you can pass in the fh instead of the file. This is most useful for doing +something like: + + my $db = DBM::Deep->new( { fh => \*DATA } ); + +You are responsible for making sure that the fh has been opened appropriately for your +needs. If you open it read-only and attempt to write, an exception will be thrown. If you +open it write-only or append-only, an exception will be thrown immediately as DBM::Deep +needs to read from the fh. + +=item * file_offset + +This is the offset within the file that the DBM::Deep db starts. Most of the time, you will +not need to set this. However, it's there if you want it. + +If you pass in fh and do not set this, it will be set appropriately. + +=item * type + +This parameter specifies what type of object to create, a hash or array. Use +one of these two constants: + +=over 4 + +=item * C<DBM::Deep-E<gt>TYPE_HASH> + +=item * C<DBM::Deep-E<gt>TYPE_ARRAY>. + +=back + +This only takes effect when beginning a new file. This is an optional +parameter, and defaults to C<DBM::Deep-E<gt>TYPE_HASH>. + +=item * locking + +Specifies whether locking is to be enabled. DBM::Deep uses Perl's flock() +function to lock the database in exclusive mode for writes, and shared mode +for reads. Pass any true value to enable. This affects the base DB handle +I<and any child hashes or arrays> that use the same DB file. This is an +optional parameter, and defaults to 1 (enabled). See L<LOCKING> below for +more. + +=item * autoflush + +Specifies whether autoflush is to be enabled on the underlying filehandle. +This obviously slows down write operations, but is required if you may have +multiple processes accessing the same DB file (also consider enable I<locking>). +Pass any true value to enable. This is an optional parameter, and defaults to 1 +(enabled). + +=item * filter_* + +See L</FILTERS> below. + +=back + +The following parameters may be specified in the constructor the first time the +datafile is created. However, they will be stored in the header of the file and +cannot be overridden by subsequent openings of the file - the values will be set +from the values stored in the datafile's header. + +=over 4 + +=item * num_txns + +This is the number of transactions that can be running at one time. The +default is one - the HEAD. The minimum is one and the maximum is 255. The more +transactions, the larger and quicker the datafile grows. + +See L</TRANSACTIONS> below. + +=item * max_buckets + +This is the number of entries that can be added before a reindexing. The larger +this number is made, the larger a file gets, but the better performance you will +have. The default and minimum number this can be is 16. The maximum is 256, but +more than 64 isn't recommended. + +=item * data_sector_size + +This is the size in bytes of a given data sector. Data sectors will chain, so +a value of any size can be stored. However, chaining is expensive in terms of +time. Setting this value to something close to the expected common length of +your scalars will improve your performance. If it is too small, your file will +have a lot of chaining. If it is too large, your file will have a lot of dead +space in it. + +The default for this is 64 bytes. The minimum value is 32 and the maximum is +256 bytes. + +B<Note:> There are between 6 and 10 bytes taken up in each data sector for +bookkeeping. (It's 4 + the number of bytes in your L</pack_size>.) This is +included within the data_sector_size, thus the effective value is 6-10 bytes +less than what you specified. + +=item * pack_size + +This is the size of the file pointer used throughout the file. The valid values +are: + +=over 4 + +=item * small + +This uses 2-byte offsets, allowing for a maximum file size of 65 KB. + +=item * medium (default) + +This uses 4-byte offsets, allowing for a maximum file size of 4 GB. + +=item * large + +This uses 8-byte offsets, allowing for a maximum file size of 16 XB +(exabytes). This can only be enabled if your Perl is compiled for 64-bit. + +=back + +See L</LARGEFILE SUPPORT> for more information. + +=back + +=head1 TIE INTERFACE + +With DBM::Deep you can access your databases using Perl's standard hash/array +syntax. Because all DBM::Deep objects are I<tied> to hashes or arrays, you can +treat them as such. DBM::Deep will intercept all reads/writes and direct them +to the right place -- the DB file. This has nothing to do with the +L<TIE CONSTRUCTION> section above. This simply tells you how to use DBM::Deep +using regular hashes and arrays, rather than calling functions like C<get()> +and C<put()> (although those work too). It is entirely up to you how to want +to access your databases. + +=head2 Hashes + +You can treat any DBM::Deep object like a normal Perl hash reference. Add keys, +or even nested hashes (or arrays) using standard Perl syntax: + + my $db = DBM::Deep->new( "foo.db" ); + + $db->{mykey} = "myvalue"; + $db->{myhash} = {}; + $db->{myhash}->{subkey} = "subvalue"; + + print $db->{myhash}->{subkey} . "\n"; + +You can even step through hash keys using the normal Perl C<keys()> function: + + foreach my $key (keys %$db) { + print "$key: " . $db->{$key} . "\n"; + } + +Remember that Perl's C<keys()> function extracts I<every> key from the hash and +pushes them onto an array, all before the loop even begins. If you have an +extremely large hash, this may exhaust Perl's memory. Instead, consider using +Perl's C<each()> function, which pulls keys/values one at a time, using very +little memory: + + while (my ($key, $value) = each %$db) { + print "$key: $value\n"; + } + +Please note that when using C<each()>, you should always pass a direct +hash reference, not a lookup. Meaning, you should B<never> do this: + + # NEVER DO THIS + while (my ($key, $value) = each %{$db->{foo}}) { # BAD + +This causes an infinite loop, because for each iteration, Perl is calling +FETCH() on the $db handle, resulting in a "new" hash for foo every time, so +it effectively keeps returning the first key over and over again. Instead, +assign a temporary variable to C<$db->{foo}>, then pass that to each(). + +=head2 Arrays + +As with hashes, you can treat any DBM::Deep object like a normal Perl array +reference. This includes inserting, removing and manipulating elements, +and the C<push()>, C<pop()>, C<shift()>, C<unshift()> and C<splice()> functions. +The object must have first been created using type C<DBM::Deep-E<gt>TYPE_ARRAY>, +or simply be a nested array reference inside a hash. Example: + + my $db = DBM::Deep->new( + file => "foo-array.db", + type => DBM::Deep->TYPE_ARRAY + ); + + $db->[0] = "foo"; + push @$db, "bar", "baz"; + unshift @$db, "bah"; + + my $last_elem = pop @$db; # baz + my $first_elem = shift @$db; # bah + my $second_elem = $db->[1]; # bar + + my $num_elements = scalar @$db; + +=head1 OO INTERFACE + +In addition to the I<tie()> interface, you can also use a standard OO interface +to manipulate all aspects of DBM::Deep databases. Each type of object (hash or +array) has its own methods, but both types share the following common methods: +C<put()>, C<get()>, C<exists()>, C<delete()> and C<clear()>. C<fetch()> and +C<store(> are aliases to C<put()> and C<get()>, respectively. + +=over + +=item * new() / clone() + +These are the constructor and copy-functions. + +=item * put() / store() + +Stores a new hash key/value pair, or sets an array element value. Takes two +arguments, the hash key or array index, and the new value. The value can be +a scalar, hash ref or array ref. Returns true on success, false on failure. + + $db->put("foo", "bar"); # for hashes + $db->put(1, "bar"); # for arrays + +=item * get() / fetch() + +Fetches the value of a hash key or array element. Takes one argument: the hash +key or array index. Returns a scalar, hash ref or array ref, depending on the +data type stored. + + my $value = $db->get("foo"); # for hashes + my $value = $db->get(1); # for arrays + +=item * exists() + +Checks if a hash key or array index exists. Takes one argument: the hash key +or array index. Returns true if it exists, false if not. + + if ($db->exists("foo")) { print "yay!\n"; } # for hashes + if ($db->exists(1)) { print "yay!\n"; } # for arrays + +=item * delete() + +Deletes one hash key/value pair or array element. Takes one argument: the hash +key or array index. Returns true on success, false if not found. For arrays, +the remaining elements located after the deleted element are NOT moved over. +The deleted element is essentially just undefined, which is exactly how Perl's +internal arrays work. + + $db->delete("foo"); # for hashes + $db->delete(1); # for arrays + +=item * clear() + +Deletes B<all> hash keys or array elements. Takes no arguments. No return +value. + + $db->clear(); # hashes or arrays + +=item * lock() / unlock() + +q.v. L</LOCKING> for more info. + +=item * optimize() + +This will compress the datafile so that it takes up as little space as possible. +There is a freespace manager so that when space is freed up, it is used before +extending the size of the datafile. But, that freespace just sits in the datafile +unless C<optimize()> is called. + +=item * import() + +Unlike simple assignment, C<import()> does not tie the right-hand side. Instead, +a copy of your data is put into the DB. C<import()> takes either an arrayref (if +your DB is an array) or a hashref (if your DB is a hash). C<import()> will die +if anything else is passed in. + +=item * export() + +This returns a complete copy of the data structure at the point you do the export. +This copy is in RAM, not on disk like the DB is. + +=item * begin_work() / commit() / rollback() + +These are the transactional functions. L</TRANSACTIONS> for more information. + +=back + +=head2 Hashes + +For hashes, DBM::Deep supports all the common methods described above, and the +following additional methods: C<first_key()> and C<next_key()>. + +=over + +=item * first_key() + +Returns the "first" key in the hash. As with built-in Perl hashes, keys are +fetched in an undefined order (which appears random). Takes no arguments, +returns the key as a scalar value. + + my $key = $db->first_key(); + +=item * next_key() + +Returns the "next" key in the hash, given the previous one as the sole argument. +Returns undef if there are no more keys to be fetched. + + $key = $db->next_key($key); + +=back + +Here are some examples of using hashes: + + my $db = DBM::Deep->new( "foo.db" ); + + $db->put("foo", "bar"); + print "foo: " . $db->get("foo") . "\n"; + + $db->put("baz", {}); # new child hash ref + $db->get("baz")->put("buz", "biz"); + print "buz: " . $db->get("baz")->get("buz") . "\n"; + + my $key = $db->first_key(); + while ($key) { + print "$key: " . $db->get($key) . "\n"; + $key = $db->next_key($key); + } + + if ($db->exists("foo")) { $db->delete("foo"); } + +=head2 Arrays + +For arrays, DBM::Deep supports all the common methods described above, and the +following additional methods: C<length()>, C<push()>, C<pop()>, C<shift()>, +C<unshift()> and C<splice()>. + +=over + +=item * length() + +Returns the number of elements in the array. Takes no arguments. + + my $len = $db->length(); + +=item * push() + +Adds one or more elements onto the end of the array. Accepts scalars, hash +refs or array refs. No return value. + + $db->push("foo", "bar", {}); + +=item * pop() + +Fetches the last element in the array, and deletes it. Takes no arguments. +Returns undef if array is empty. Returns the element value. + + my $elem = $db->pop(); + +=item * shift() + +Fetches the first element in the array, deletes it, then shifts all the +remaining elements over to take up the space. Returns the element value. This +method is not recommended with large arrays -- see L<LARGE ARRAYS> below for +details. + + my $elem = $db->shift(); + +=item * unshift() + +Inserts one or more elements onto the beginning of the array, shifting all +existing elements over to make room. Accepts scalars, hash refs or array refs. +No return value. This method is not recommended with large arrays -- see +<LARGE ARRAYS> below for details. + + $db->unshift("foo", "bar", {}); + +=item * splice() + +Performs exactly like Perl's built-in function of the same name. See L<perldoc +-f splice> for usage -- it is too complicated to document here. This method is +not recommended with large arrays -- see L<LARGE ARRAYS> below for details. + +=back + +Here are some examples of using arrays: + + my $db = DBM::Deep->new( + file => "foo.db", + type => DBM::Deep->TYPE_ARRAY + ); + + $db->push("bar", "baz"); + $db->unshift("foo"); + $db->put(3, "buz"); + + my $len = $db->length(); + print "length: $len\n"; # 4 + + for (my $k=0; $k<$len; $k++) { + print "$k: " . $db->get($k) . "\n"; + } + + $db->splice(1, 2, "biz", "baf"); + + while (my $elem = shift @$db) { + print "shifted: $elem\n"; + } + +=head1 LOCKING + +Enable or disable automatic file locking by passing a boolean value to the +C<locking> parameter when constructing your DBM::Deep object (see L<SETUP> +above). + + my $db = DBM::Deep->new( + file => "foo.db", + locking => 1 + ); + +This causes DBM::Deep to C<flock()> the underlying filehandle with exclusive +mode for writes, and shared mode for reads. This is required if you have +multiple processes accessing the same database file, to avoid file corruption. +Please note that C<flock()> does NOT work for files over NFS. See L<DB OVER +NFS> below for more. + +=head2 Explicit Locking + +You can explicitly lock a database, so it remains locked for multiple +actions. This is done by calling the C<lock()> method, and passing an +optional lock mode argument (defaults to exclusive mode). This is particularly +useful for things like counters, where the current value needs to be fetched, +then incremented, then stored again. + + $db->lock(); + my $counter = $db->get("counter"); + $counter++; + $db->put("counter", $counter); + $db->unlock(); + + # or... + + $db->lock(); + $db->{counter}++; + $db->unlock(); + +You can pass C<lock()> an optional argument, which specifies which mode to use +(exclusive or shared). Use one of these two constants: +C<DBM::Deep-E<gt>LOCK_EX> or C<DBM::Deep-E<gt>LOCK_SH>. These are passed +directly to C<flock()>, and are the same as the constants defined in Perl's +L<Fcntl> module. + + $db->lock( $db->LOCK_SH ); + # something here + $db->unlock(); + +=head2 Win32/Cygwin + +Due to Win32 actually enforcing the read-only status of a shared lock, all +locks on Win32 and cygwin are exclusive. This is because of how autovivification +currently works. Hopefully, this will go away in a future release. + +=head1 IMPORTING/EXPORTING + +You can import existing complex structures by calling the C<import()> method, +and export an entire database into an in-memory structure using the C<export()> +method. Both are examined here. + +=head2 Importing + +Say you have an existing hash with nested hashes/arrays inside it. Instead of +walking the structure and adding keys/elements to the database as you go, +simply pass a reference to the C<import()> method. This recursively adds +everything to an existing DBM::Deep object for you. Here is an example: + + my $struct = { + key1 => "value1", + key2 => "value2", + array1 => [ "elem0", "elem1", "elem2" ], + hash1 => { + subkey1 => "subvalue1", + subkey2 => "subvalue2" + } + }; + + my $db = DBM::Deep->new( "foo.db" ); + $db->import( $struct ); + + print $db->{key1} . "\n"; # prints "value1" + +This recursively imports the entire C<$struct> object into C<$db>, including +all nested hashes and arrays. If the DBM::Deep object contains exsiting data, +keys are merged with the existing ones, replacing if they already exist. +The C<import()> method can be called on any database level (not just the base +level), and works with both hash and array DB types. + +B<Note:> Make sure your existing structure has no circular references in it. +These will cause an infinite loop when importing. There are plans to fix this +in a later release. + +=head2 Exporting + +Calling the C<export()> method on an existing DBM::Deep object will return +a reference to a new in-memory copy of the database. The export is done +recursively, so all nested hashes/arrays are all exported to standard Perl +objects. Here is an example: + + my $db = DBM::Deep->new( "foo.db" ); + + $db->{key1} = "value1"; + $db->{key2} = "value2"; + $db->{hash1} = {}; + $db->{hash1}->{subkey1} = "subvalue1"; + $db->{hash1}->{subkey2} = "subvalue2"; + + my $struct = $db->export(); + + print $struct->{key1} . "\n"; # prints "value1" + +This makes a complete copy of the database in memory, and returns a reference +to it. The C<export()> method can be called on any database level (not just +the base level), and works with both hash and array DB types. Be careful of +large databases -- you can store a lot more data in a DBM::Deep object than an +in-memory Perl structure. + +B<Note:> Make sure your database has no circular references in it. +These will cause an infinite loop when exporting. There are plans to fix this +in a later release. + +=head1 FILTERS + +DBM::Deep has a number of hooks where you can specify your own Perl function +to perform filtering on incoming or outgoing data. This is a perfect +way to extend the engine, and implement things like real-time compression or +encryption. Filtering applies to the base DB level, and all child hashes / +arrays. Filter hooks can be specified when your DBM::Deep object is first +constructed, or by calling the C<set_filter()> method at any time. There are +four available filter hooks. + +=head2 set_filter() + +This method takes two paramters - the filter type and the filter subreference. +The four types are: + +=over + +=item * filter_store_key + +This filter is called whenever a hash key is stored. It +is passed the incoming key, and expected to return a transformed key. + +=item * filter_store_value + +This filter is called whenever a hash key or array element is stored. It +is passed the incoming value, and expected to return a transformed value. + +=item * filter_fetch_key + +This filter is called whenever a hash key is fetched (i.e. via +C<first_key()> or C<next_key()>). It is passed the transformed key, +and expected to return the plain key. + +=item * filter_fetch_value + +This filter is called whenever a hash key or array element is fetched. +It is passed the transformed value, and expected to return the plain value. + +=back + +Here are the two ways to setup a filter hook: + + my $db = DBM::Deep->new( + file => "foo.db", + filter_store_value => \&my_filter_store, + filter_fetch_value => \&my_filter_fetch + ); + + # or... + + $db->set_filter( "filter_store_value", \&my_filter_store ); + $db->set_filter( "filter_fetch_value", \&my_filter_fetch ); + +Your filter function will be called only when dealing with SCALAR keys or +values. When nested hashes and arrays are being stored/fetched, filtering +is bypassed. Filters are called as static functions, passed a single SCALAR +argument, and expected to return a single SCALAR value. If you want to +remove a filter, set the function reference to C<undef>: + + $db->set_filter( "filter_store_value", undef ); + +=head2 Examples + +Please read L<DBM::Deep::Manual> for examples of filters. + +=head1 ERROR HANDLING + +Most DBM::Deep methods return a true value for success, and call die() on +failure. You can wrap calls in an eval block to catch the die. + + my $db = DBM::Deep->new( "foo.db" ); # create hash + eval { $db->push("foo"); }; # ILLEGAL -- push is array-only call + + print $@; # prints error message + +=head1 LARGEFILE SUPPORT + +If you have a 64-bit system, and your Perl is compiled with both LARGEFILE +and 64-bit support, you I<may> be able to create databases larger than 4 GB. +DBM::Deep by default uses 32-bit file offset tags, but these can be changed +by specifying the 'pack_size' parameter when constructing the file. + + DBM::Deep->new( + filename => $filename, + pack_size => 'large', + ); + +This tells DBM::Deep to pack all file offsets with 8-byte (64-bit) quad words +instead of 32-bit longs. After setting these values your DB files have a +theoretical maximum size of 16 XB (exabytes). + +You can also use C<pack_size =E<gt> 'small'> in order to use 16-bit file +offsets. + +B<Note:> Changing these values will B<NOT> work for existing database files. +Only change this for new files. Once the value has been set, it is stored in +the file's header and cannot be changed for the life of the file. These +parameters are per-file, meaning you can access 32-bit and 64-bit files, as +you choose. + +B<Note:> We have not personally tested files larger than 4 GB -- all our +systems have only a 32-bit Perl. However, we have received user reports that +this does indeed work. + +=head1 LOW-LEVEL ACCESS + +If you require low-level access to the underlying filehandle that DBM::Deep uses, +you can call the C<_fh()> method, which returns the handle: + + my $fh = $db->_fh(); + +This method can be called on the root level of the datbase, or any child +hashes or arrays. All levels share a I<root> structure, which contains things +like the filehandle, a reference counter, and all the options specified +when you created the object. You can get access to this file object by +calling the C<_storage()> method. + + my $file_obj = $db->_storage(); + +This is useful for changing options after the object has already been created, +such as enabling/disabling locking. You can also store your own temporary user +data in this structure (be wary of name collision), which is then accessible from +any child hash or array. + +=head1 CIRCULAR REFERENCES + +DBM::Deep has full support for circular references. Meaning you +can have a nested hash key or array element that points to a parent object. +This relationship is stored in the DB file, and is preserved between sessions. +Here is an example: + + my $db = DBM::Deep->new( "foo.db" ); + + $db->{foo} = "bar"; + $db->{circle} = $db; # ref to self + + print $db->{foo} . "\n"; # prints "bar" + print $db->{circle}->{foo} . "\n"; # prints "bar" again + +This also works as expected with array and hash references. So, the following +works as expected: + + $db->{foo} = [ 1 .. 3 ]; + $db->{bar} = $db->{foo}; + + push @{$db->{foo}}, 42; + is( $db->{bar}[-1], 42 ); # Passes + +This, however, does I<not> extend to assignments from one DB file to another. +So, the following will throw an error: + + my $db1 = DBM::Deep->new( "foo.db" ); + my $db2 = DBM::Deep->new( "bar.db" ); + + $db1->{foo} = []; + $db2->{foo} = $db1->{foo}; # dies + +B<Note>: Passing the object to a function that recursively walks the +object tree (such as I<Data::Dumper> or even the built-in C<optimize()> or +C<export()> methods) will result in an infinite loop. This will be fixed in +a future release by adding singleton support. + +=head1 TRANSACTIONS + +As of 1.0000, DBM::Deep hass ACID transactions. Every DBM::Deep object is completely +transaction-ready - it is not an option you have to turn on. You do have to +specify how many transactions may run simultaneously (q.v. L</num_txns>). + +Three new methods have been added to support them. They are: + +=over 4 + +=item * begin_work() + +This starts a transaction. + +=item * commit() + +This applies the changes done within the transaction to the mainline and ends +the transaction. + +=item * rollback() + +This discards the changes done within the transaction to the mainline and ends +the transaction. + +=back + +Transactions in DBM::Deep are done using a variant of the MVCC method, the +same method used by the InnoDB MySQL engine. + +=head1 MIGRATION + +As of 1.0000, the file format has changed. Furthermore, DBM::Deep is now +designed to potentially change file format between point-releases, if needed to +support a requested feature. To aid in this, a migration script is provided +within the CPAN distribution called C<utils/upgrade_db.pl>. + +B<NOTE:> This script is not installed onto your system because it carries a copy +of every version prior to the current version. + +=head1 TODO + +The following are items that are planned to be added in future releases. These +are separate from the L<CAVEATS, ISSUES & BUGS> below. + +=head2 Sub-Transactions + +Right now, you cannot run a transaction within a transaction. Removing this +restriction is technically straightforward, but the combinatorial explosion of +possible usecases hurts my head. If this is something you want to see +immediately, please submit many testcases. + +=head2 Caching + +If a client is willing to assert upon opening the file that this process will be +the only consumer of that datafile, then there are a number of caching +possibilities that can be taken advantage of. This does, however, mean that +DBM::Deep is more vulnerable to losing data due to unflushed changes. It also +means a much larger in-memory footprint. As such, it's not clear exactly how +this should be done. Suggestions are welcome. + +=head2 Ram-only + +The techniques used in DBM::Deep simply require a seekable contiguous +datastore. This could just as easily be a large string as a file. By using +substr, the STM capabilities of DBM::Deep could be used within a +single-process. I have no idea how I'd specify this, though. Suggestions are +welcome. + +=head2 Different contention resolution mechanisms + +Currently, the only contention resolution mechanism is last-write-wins. This +is the mechanism used by most RDBMSes and should be good enough for most uses. +For advanced uses of STM, other contention mechanisms will be needed. If you +have an idea of how you'd like to see contention resolution in DBM::Deep, +please let me know. + +=head1 CAVEATS, ISSUES & BUGS + +This section describes all the known issues with DBM::Deep. These are issues +that are either intractable or depend on some feature within Perl working +exactly right. It you have found something that is not listed below, please +send an e-mail to L<rkinyon@cpan.org>. Likewise, if you think you know of a +way around one of these issues, please let me know. + +=head2 References + +(The following assumes a high level of Perl understanding, specifically of +references. Most users can safely skip this section.) + +Currently, the only references supported are HASH and ARRAY. The other reference +types (SCALAR, CODE, GLOB, and REF) cannot be supported for various reasons. + +=over 4 + +=item * GLOB + +These are things like filehandles and other sockets. They can't be supported +because it's completely unclear how DBM::Deep should serialize them. + +=item * SCALAR / REF + +The discussion here refers to the following type of example: + + my $x = 25; + $db->{key1} = \$x; + + $x = 50; + + # In some other process ... + + my $val = ${ $db->{key1} }; + + is( $val, 50, "What actually gets stored in the DB file?" ); + +The problem is one of synchronization. When the variable being referred to +changes value, the reference isn't notified, which is kind of the point of +references. This means that the new value won't be stored in the datafile for +other processes to read. There is no TIEREF. + +It is theoretically possible to store references to values already within a +DBM::Deep object because everything already is synchronized, but the change to +the internals would be quite large. Specifically, DBM::Deep would have to tie +every single value that is stored. This would bloat the RAM footprint of +DBM::Deep at least twofold (if not more) and be a significant performance drain, +all to support a feature that has never been requested. + +=item * CODE + +L<Data::Dump::Streamer> provides a mechanism for serializing coderefs, +including saving off all closure state. This would allow for DBM::Deep to +store the code for a subroutine. Then, whenever the subroutine is read, the +code could be C<eval()>'ed into being. However, just as for SCALAR and REF, +that closure state may change without notifying the DBM::Deep object storing +the reference. Again, this would generally be considered a feature. + +=back + +=head2 External references and transactions + +If you do C<my $x = $db-E<gt>{foo};>, then start a transaction, $x will be +referencing the database from outside the transaction. A fix for this (and other +issues with how external references into the database) is being looked into. This +is the skipped set of tests in t/39_singletons.t and a related issue is the focus +of t/37_delete_edge_cases.t + +=head2 File corruption + +The current level of error handling in DBM::Deep is minimal. Files I<are> checked +for a 32-bit signature when opened, but any other form of corruption in the +datafile can cause segmentation faults. DBM::Deep may try to C<seek()> past +the end of a file, or get stuck in an infinite loop depending on the level and +type of corruption. File write operations are not checked for failure (for +speed), so if you happen to run out of disk space, DBM::Deep will probably fail in +a bad way. These things will be addressed in a later version of DBM::Deep. + +=head2 DB over NFS + +Beware of using DBM::Deep files over NFS. DBM::Deep uses flock(), which works +well on local filesystems, but will NOT protect you from file corruption over +NFS. I've heard about setting up your NFS server with a locking daemon, then +using C<lockf()> to lock your files, but your mileage may vary there as well. +From what I understand, there is no real way to do it. However, if you need +access to the underlying filehandle in DBM::Deep for using some other kind of +locking scheme like C<lockf()>, see the L<LOW-LEVEL ACCESS> section above. + +=head2 Copying Objects + +Beware of copying tied objects in Perl. Very strange things can happen. +Instead, use DBM::Deep's C<clone()> method which safely copies the object and +returns a new, blessed and tied hash or array to the same level in the DB. + + my $copy = $db->clone(); + +B<Note>: Since clone() here is cloning the object, not the database location, any +modifications to either $db or $copy will be visible to both. + +=head2 Large Arrays + +Beware of using C<shift()>, C<unshift()> or C<splice()> with large arrays. +These functions cause every element in the array to move, which can be murder +on DBM::Deep, as every element has to be fetched from disk, then stored again in +a different location. This will be addressed in a future version. + +This has been somewhat addressed so that the cost is constant, regardless of +what is stored at those locations. So, small arrays with huge data structures in +them are faster. But, large arrays are still large. + +=head2 Writeonly Files + +If you pass in a filehandle to new(), you may have opened it in either a +readonly or writeonly mode. STORE will verify that the filehandle is writable. +However, there doesn't seem to be a good way to determine if a filehandle is +readable. And, if the filehandle isn't readable, it's not clear what will +happen. So, don't do that. + +=head2 Assignments Within Transactions + +The following will I<not> work as one might expect: + + my $x = { a => 1 }; + + $db->begin_work; + $db->{foo} = $x; + $db->rollback; + + is( $x->{a}, 1 ); # This will fail! + +The problem is that the moment a reference used as the rvalue to a DBM::Deep +object's lvalue, it becomes tied itself. This is so that future changes to +C<$x> can be tracked within the DBM::Deep file and is considered to be a +feature. By the time the rollback occurs, there is no knowledge that there had +been an C<$x> or what memory location to assign an C<export()> to. + +B<NOTE:> This does not affect importing because imports do a walk over the +reference to be imported in order to explicitly leave it untied. + +=head1 CODE COVERAGE + +L<Devel::Cover> is used to test the code coverage of the tests. Below is the +L<Devel::Cover> report on this distribution's test suite. + + ------------------------------------------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ + File stmt bran cond sub total + ------------------------------------------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ + blib/lib/DBM/Deep.pm 97.2 90.9 83.3 100.0 95.4 + blib/lib/DBM/Deep/Array.pm 100.0 95.7 100.0 100.0 99.0 + blib/lib/DBM/Deep/Engine.pm 95.6 84.7 81.6 98.4 92.5 + blib/lib/DBM/Deep/File.pm 97.2 81.6 66.7 100.0 91.9 + blib/lib/DBM/Deep/Hash.pm 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 + Total 96.7 87.5 82.2 99.2 94.1 + ------------------------------------------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ + +=head1 MORE INFORMATION + +Check out the DBM::Deep Google Group at L<http://groups.google.com/group/DBM-Deep> +or send email to L<DBM-Deep@googlegroups.com>. You can also visit #dbm-deep on +irc.perl.org + +The source code repository is at L<http://svn.perl.org/modules/DBM-Deep> + +=head1 MAINTAINERS + +Rob Kinyon, L<rkinyon@cpan.org> + +Originally written by Joseph Huckaby, L<jhuckaby@cpan.org> + +=head1 SPONSORS + +Stonehenge Consulting (L<http://www.stonehenge.com/>) sponsored the +developement of transactions and freespace management, leading to the 1.0000 +release. A great debt of gratitude goes out to them for their continuing +leadership in and support of the Perl community. + +=head1 CONTRIBUTORS + +The following have contributed greatly to make DBM::Deep what it is today: + +=over 4 + +=item * Adam Sah and Rich Gaushell for innumerable contributions early on. + +=item * Dan Golden and others at YAPC::NA 2006 for helping me design through transactions. + +=back + +=head1 SEE ALSO + +perltie(1), Tie::Hash(3), Digest::MD5(3), Fcntl(3), flock(2), lockf(3), nfs(5), +Digest::SHA256(3), Crypt::Blowfish(3), Compress::Zlib(3) + +=head1 LICENSE + +Copyright (c) 2007 Rob Kinyon. All Rights Reserved. +This is free software, you may use it and distribute it under the same terms +as Perl itself. + +=cut |