NAME
   CGI::AppBuilder::Config - Configuration initializer

SYNOPSIS
     use CGI::AppBuilder::Config;

     my $cg = CGI::AppBuilder::Config->new(
        'ifn', 'my_init.cfg', 'opt', 'vhS:a:');
     my $ar = $cg->get_inputs;

DESCRIPTION
   This class provides methods for reading and parsing configuration files.

 new (ifn => 'file.cfg', opt => 'hvS:')
   This is a inherited method from CGI::AppBuilder. See the same method in
   CGI::AppBuilder for more details.

 get_inputs($ifn, $opt)
   Input variables:

     $ifn  - input/initial file name.
     $opt  - options for Getopt::Std, for instance 'vhS:a:'

   Variables used or routines called:

     None

   How to use:

     my $ar = $self->get_inputs('/tmp/my_init.cfg','vhS:');

   Return: ($q, $ar) where $q is the CGI object and $ar is a hash array
   reference containing parameters from web form, or command line and/or
   configuration file if specified.

   This method performs the following tasks:

     1) create a CGI object
     2) get input from CGI web form or command line
     3) read initial file if provided
     4) merge the two inputs into one hash array

   This method uses the following rules:

     1) All parameters in the initial file can not be changed through
        command line or web form;
     2) The "-S" option in command line can be used to set non-single
        char parameters in the format of
        -S k1=value1:k2=value2
     3) Single char parameters are included only if they are listed
        in $opt input variable.

   Some parameters are dfined automatically:

     script_name - $ENV{SCRIPT_NAME}
     url_dn      - $ENV{HTTP_HOST}
     home_url    - http://$ENV{HTTP_HOST}
     HomeLoc     - http://$ENV{HTTP_HOST}/
     version     - $VERSION
     action      - https://$ENV{HTTP_HOST}$ENV{SCRIPT_NAME}
     encoding    - application/x-www-form-urlencoded
     method      - POST

 read_init_file($fn, $dvr)
   Input variables:

     $fn - full path to a file name
     $dvr - delay variable replacement
            0 - No (default)
            1 - yes

   Variables used or routines called:

     eval_variables - replace variables with their values

     CGI::AppBuilder::Message
       echo_msg - echo messages

   How to use:

     my $ar = $self->read_init_file('crop.ini');

   Return: a hash array ref

   This method reads a configuraton file containing parameters in the
   format of key=values. Multiple lines is allowed for values as long as
   the lines after the "key=" line are indented as least with two blanks.
   For instance:

     width = 80
     desc  = This is a long
             description about the value
     # you can define perl hash araay as well
     msg = {
       101 => "msg 101",
       102 => "msg 102"
       }
     # you can use variable as well
     js_var = /my/js/var_file.js
     js_src = /my/first/js/prg.js,$js_var

   This will create a hash array of

     $ar->{width} = 80
     $ar->{desc}  = "This is a long description about the value"
     $ar->{msg}   = {101=>"msg 101",102=>"msg 102"}
     $ar->{js_var}= "/my/js/var_file.js";
     $ar->{js_src}= "/my/first/js/prg.js,/my/js/var_file.js";

 eval_variables($cfg, $hr)
   Input variables:

     $cfg - a hash array ref containing variable names
     $hr  - a hash array ref contianing  varliable values

   Variables used or routines called:

     eval_named_var - get named variables' values
     eval_var       - get variables' values

   How to use:

     my $mr = $self->eval_variables($cfg, $hr);

   Return: a hash or hash ref.

   This method evaluates the configuration hash and replace variable names
   with their values up to 5 levels of nested variables. For instance, you
   have the following configuration hash:

     my $cfg = { a=>10, b=>"$a+2", c=>"2*($b)", d=>"$c-1",
                 result=>"3*($d)" }
     my $mk = $self->eval_variables($cfg);

   This will result $cfg to

     a = 10
     b = 10+2
     c = 2*(10+2)
     d = 2*(10+2)-1
     result = 3*(2*(10+2)-1)

 eval_var($cfg, $hr)
   Input variables:

     $cfg - a hash ref containing variable names
     $hr  - a hash ref which will be used to search for values

   Variables used or routines called:

     None

   How to use:

     my $cfg = {first_name=>'John', last_name=>'Smith',
        full_name => "\$first_name \$last_name",
        addr1=>"111 Main Street",
        city=>"Philadelphia", zip_code=>"19102",
        address => "\$addr1, \$city, PA \$zip_code",
        contact=>"\$full_name <address>\$address</address> \$logo",
        };
     my $hr = { logo => 'http://mydomain.com/images/logo.gif', };
     my $p1 = $self->eval_var($cfg, $hr);
     my $p2 = $self->eval_var($cfg, $hr);
     # The first pass will get full_name, address replaced with values
     # but leave contact with variable names in it.
     # The second pass will get first_name, last_name, and address in
     # contact replaced with their values.

   Return: a hash or hash ref

   This method evaluates the variable names contained in a configuration
   hash and replace the variable names with their values.

 eval_named_var($hr, $vn, $sr)
   Input variables:

     $hr - a hash array ref containing variable names
     $vn - variable name default to 'ENV'
     $sr - source hash ref. If omitted, {%$vn} will be used.

   Variables used or routines called:

     None

   How to use:

     my %ENV = (HTTP_HOST=>'testdomain.com:8000',USER=>'htu');
     my $hr  = {first_name=>'John', last_name=>'Smith'};
     my $cfg = { hh=>'$ENV{HTTP_HOST}',usr=>'$ENV{USER}',
                fn=>'$hr{first_name}', ln=>'$hr{last_name}',
              };
     my $p1 = $self->eval_named_var($cfg, 'ENV');
     # the first pass will get
     #   $cfg->{hh}  = 'testdomain.com:8000'
     #   $cfg->{usr} = 'htu'
     my $p2 = $self->eval_named_var($cfg, 'hr', $hr);
     # the second pass will get
     #   $cfg->{fn}  = 'John'
     #   $cfg->{ln}  = 'Smith'

   Return: a hash or hash ref

   This method evaluates the variable names contained in a configuration
   hash and replace the variable names with their values.

 read_cfg_file($fn,$ot, $fs)
   Input variables:

     $fn - full path to a file name
     $ot - output array type: A(array) or H(hash)
     $fs - field separator, default to vertical bar (|)

   Variables used or routines called:

     CGI::AppBuilder::Message
       echo_msg  - display message

   How to use:

     my $arf = $self->read_cfg_file('crop.cfg', 'H');

   Return: an array or hash array ref containing (${$arf}[$i]{$itm},
   ${$arf}[$i][$j];

   This method reads a configuraton file containing delimited fields. It
   looks a line starting with '#CN:' for column names. If it finds the
   line, it uses to define the first row in the array or use the column
   names as keys in the hash array.

   The default output type is A(array). It will read the field names into
   the first row ([0][0]~[0][n]). If output array type is hash, then it
   uses the columns name as keys such as ${$arf}[$i]{key}. If it does not
   find '#CN:' line, it will use 'FD001' ~ 'FD###' as keys.

     #Form: fm1
     #CN: Step|VarName|DispName|Action|Description
     0.0|t1|Title||CROP Worksheet

HISTORY
   * Version 0.10
       This version extracts these methods from CGI::Getopt class:
       get_inputs, read_init_file, and read_cfg_file.

         0.11 Inherited the new constructor from CGI::AppBuilder.
         0.12 Added eval_var, eval_named_var, eval_variables and
              modified read_init_file method.

   * Version 0.20

SEE ALSO (some of docs that I check often)
       Oracle::Loader, Oracle::Trigger, CGI::AppBuilder, File::Xcopy,
       CGI::AppBuilder::Message

AUTHOR
       Copyright (c) 2005 Hanming Tu. All rights reserved.

       This package is free software and is provided "as is" without
       express or implied warranty. It may be used, redistributed and/or
       modified under the terms of the Perl Artistic License (see
       http://www.perl.com/perl/misc/Artistic.html)