README FILE FOR PERL MODULE -- DBD::AnyData

WHAT THE HECK IS IT?

 The DBD::AnyData module provides a DBI (Perl Database Interface)
 and SQL (Structured Query Language) interface to data in many
 formats and from many sources.

 There are actually two modules DBD::AnyData and AnyData.  The AnyData
 module provides most of the same features as DBD::AnyData
 through a tied hash interface which does not require or support
 DBI and SQL.

 Both modules allow accessing and modifying data in over a dozen
 formats.  If the DBI/SQL approach is the one you want, read on.
 Otherwise see the documentation for AnyData.pm

 Currently supported formats include general format flatfiles (CSV,
 Fixed Length, Tab or Pipe "delimited", etc.), specific formats
 (passwd files, web logs, etc.), a variety of other kinds of
 formats (XML, Mp3, HTML tables), and, for some
 operations, any DBI accessible database. The number of supported
 formats will continue to grow rapidly since there is an open API
 making it easy for any author to create additional format parsers
 which can be plugged in to AnyData.

 Data in these various formats can come from local files, from
 remote files, or from perl data structures such as strings and
 arrays.

 Regardless of the format or source of the data, it may be accessed
 and/or modified using all standard DBI methods and a subset of SQL
 syntax.

 In addition to standard database access to files, the module also
 supports in-memory tables which allow you to create temporary
 views; to combine data from a number of sources; to quickly
 prototype database systems; and to display or save the data in any
 of the supported formats (e.g. to display data in a CSV file as an
 HTML table).  These in-memory tables can be created from any
 combination of DBI databases or files of any format.  They may also
 be created from perl data structures which means it's possible to
 quickly prototype a database system without any file access or
 rdbms backend.

 The module also supports converting files between any of the supported
 formats (e.g. save selected data from MySQL or Oracle to an XML file).

 HISTORICAL NOTE: this module was formerly called DBD::RAM.  Its name
 was changed because many people were unaware that the module supports
 file operations in addition to in-memory operations.  See the Changes
 file for a description of changes since the last release of DBD::RAM.

SOME EXAMPLES

 # SELECT DATA FROM A PASSWD FILE
 #
 $dbh->func( 'users', 'Passwd', '/etc/passwd', 'ad_catalog');
 my $sth = $dbh->prepare("SELECT username,homedir,GID FROM users');

 # INSERT A NEW ROW INTO A CSV FILE
 #
 $dbh->func( 'cars', 'CSV', 'cars.csv', 'ad_catalog');
 $dbh->do("INSERT INTO cars VALUES ('Honda','Odyssey')");

 # READ A REMOTE XML FILE AND PRINT IT AS AN HTML TABLE
 #
 print $dbh->func( 'XML', $url, 'HTMLtable', 'ad_convert');

 # CONVERT A MYSQL DATABASE INTO XML AND SAVE IT IN A NEW FILE
 #
 $dbh->func( 'DBI', $mysql_dbh, 'XML', 'data.xml', 'ad_convert');

 # CREATE AND ACCESS A VIEW CONTAINING DATA FROM
 # AN ORACLE DATABASE AND A TAB DELIMITED FILE
 #
 $dbh->func( 'combo', 'DBI', $oracle_dbh, 'ad_import');
 $dbh->func( 'combo', 'Tab', 'data.tab', 'ad_import');
 my $sth = $dbh->prepare("SELECT * FROM combo");

 # CREATE  A TEST TABLE FROM A REFERENCE TO AN ARRAY OF ARRAYS
 #
 $dbh->func( 'test', 'ARRAY', $array_ref, 'ad_import');
 my $sth = $dbh->prepare("SELECT * FROM test WHERE foo='bar'");

 # CREATE  A TEST TABLE FROM THE DATA SECTION OF A SCRIPT
 #
 $dbh->func( 'test', 'XML', [<DATA>], 'ad_import');
 my $sth = $dbh->prepare("SELECT phrase FROM test WHERE id=2");
 __END__
 <phrases>
     <phrase id="1">Hello World!</phrase>
     <phrase id="2">Just Another Perl Hacker</phrase>
 </phrases>

WHAT ELSE DO I NEED?

 To use DBD::AnyData you will need to install these modules,
 all available from CPAN and most available from activeState.

 * DBI
 * SQL::Statement
 * DBD::File
 * AnyData
 * DBD::AnyData

 Note: DBD::File is part of the DBD::CSV distribution

 Additional modules are required for some advanced features,
 see 'perldoc DBD::AnyData'.

HOW DO I INSTALL IT?

  1.  Install all the prerequired modules first if they
      are not already installed

  2.  Unpack the compressed files.
      (DBD-AnyData-version.tar.gz or DBD-AnyData-version.zip)

  3a. If you are not familiar with the standard Perl
      makefile method, you can simply copy the file DBD-AnyData.pm
      into your ...site/lib/DBD directory

  3b. If you are familiar with the standard Perl make
      installation, just do as always (perl Makefile.PL;
      make; make test; make install) this should also
      work with dmake or nmake.

WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFO?

  After installing the module, type "perldoc DBD::AnyData" at
  the command prompt, or just read the documentation at
  the bottom of the ...DBD/AnyData.pm file.

WHO DUNNIT?

 Jeff Zucker <[email protected]>

Enjoy!

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