# NAME
[GraphViz2::Data::Grapher](
https://metacpan.org/pod/GraphViz2::Data::Grapher) - Visualize a data structure as a graph
# Synopsis
#!/usr/bin/env perl
use strict;
use warnings;
use File::Spec;
use GraphViz2;
use GraphViz2::Data::Grapher;
my($sub) = sub{};
my($s) =
{
A =>
{
a =>
{
},
bbbbbb => $sub,
c123 => $sub,
d => \$sub,
},
C =>
{
b =>
{
a =>
{
a =>
{
},
b => sub{},
c => 42,
},
},
},
els => [qw(element_1 element_2 element_3)],
};
my($graph) = GraphViz2 -> new
(
edge => {color => 'grey'},
global => {directed => 1},
graph => {rankdir => 'TB'},
node => {color => 'blue', shape => 'oval'},
);
my($g) = GraphViz2::Data::Grapher->new(graph => $graph);
my($format) = shift || 'svg';
my($output_file) = shift || File::Spec -> catfile('html', "parse.data.$format");
$g -> create(name => 's', thing => $s);
$graph -> run(format => $format, output_file => $output_file);
# If you did not provide a GraphViz2 object, do this
# to get access to the auto-created GraphViz2 object.
#$g -> create(name => 's', thing => $s);
#$g -> graph -> run(format => $format, output_file => $output_file);
# Or even
#$g -> create(name => 's', thing => $s)
#-> graph
#-> run(format => $format, output_file => $output_file);
See scripts/parse.data.pl (["Scripts Shipped with this Module" in GraphViz2](
https://metacpan.org/pod/GraphViz2#Scripts-Shipped-with-this-Module)).
# Description
Takes a Perl data structure and recursively converts it into [Tree::DAG\_Node](
https://metacpan.org/pod/Tree::DAG_Node) object, and then graphs it.
You can write the result in any format supported by [Graphviz](
http://www.graphviz.org/).
Here is the list of [output formats](
http://www.graphviz.org/content/output-formats).
Within the graph:
- o Array names are preceeded by '@'
- o Code references are preceeded by '&'
- o Hash names are preceeded by '%'
- o Scalar names are preceeded by '$'
Hence, a hash ref will look like '%$h'.
Further, objects of different type have different shapes.
# Constructor and Initialization
## Calling new()
`new()` is called as `my($obj) = GraphViz2::Data::Grapher -> new(k1 => v1, k2 => v2, ...)`.
It returns a new object of type `GraphViz2::Data::Grapher`.
Key-value pairs accepted in the parameter list:
- o graph => $graphviz\_object
This option specifies the GraphViz2 object to use. This allows you to configure it as desired.
The default is GraphViz2 -> new. The default attributes are the same as in the synopsis, above,
except for the graph label of course.
This key is optional.
# Methods
## create(name => $name, thing => $thing)
Creates the graph, which is accessible via the graph() method, or via the graph object you passed to new().
Returns $self to allow method chaining.
$name is the string which will be placed in the root node of the tree.
If $s = {...}, say, use 's', not '$s', because '%$' will be prefixed automatically to the name,
because $s is a hashref.
$thing is the data stucture to graph.
## graph()
Returns the graph object, either the one supplied to new() or the one created during the call to new().
## tree()
Returns the tree object (of type [Tree::DAG\_Node](
https://metacpan.org/pod/Tree::DAG_Node)) built before it is traversed to generate the nodes and edges.
# Scripts Shipped with this Module
## scripts/parse.data.pl
Demonstrates graphing a Perl data structure.
Outputs to ./html/parse.data.svg by default.
## scripts/parse.html.pl
Demonstrates using [XML::Bare](
https://metacpan.org/pod/XML::Bare) to parse HTML.
Inputs from ./t/sample.html, and outputs to ./html/parse.html.svg by default.
## scripts/parse.xml.bare.pl
Demonstrates using [XML::Bare](
https://metacpan.org/pod/XML::Bare) to parse XML.
Inputs from ./t/sample.xml, and outputs to ./html/parse.xml.bare.svg by default.
# Thanks
Many thanks are due to the people who chose to make [Graphviz](
http://www.graphviz.org/) Open Source.
And thanks to [Leon Brocard](
http://search.cpan.org/~lbrocard/), who wrote [GraphViz](
https://metacpan.org/pod/GraphViz), and kindly gave me co-maint of the module.
# Author
[GraphViz2](
https://metacpan.org/pod/GraphViz2) was written by Ron Savage _<
[email protected]>_ in 2011.
Home page: [
http://savage.net.au/index.html](
http://savage.net.au/index.html).
# Copyright
Australian copyright (c) 2011, Ron Savage.
All Programs of mine are 'OSI Certified Open Source Software';
you can redistribute them and/or modify them under the terms of
The Perl License, a copy of which is available at:
http://dev.perl.org/licenses/