NAME¶
Path::Class::File - Objects representing files
VERSION¶
version 0.35
SYNOPSIS¶
use Path::Class; # Exports file() by default
my $file = file('foo', 'bar.txt'); # Path::Class::File object
my $file = Path::Class::File->new('foo', 'bar.txt'); # Same thing
# Stringifies to 'foo/bar.txt' on Unix, 'foo\bar.txt' on Windows, etc.
print "file: $file\n";
if ($file->is_absolute) { ... }
if ($file->is_relative) { ... }
my $v = $file->volume; # Could be 'C:' on Windows, empty string
# on Unix, 'Macintosh HD:' on Mac OS
$file->cleanup; # Perform logical cleanup of pathname
$file->resolve; # Perform physical cleanup of pathname
my $dir = $file->dir; # A Path::Class::Dir object
my $abs = $file->absolute; # Transform to absolute path
my $rel = $file->relative; # Transform to relative path
DESCRIPTION¶
The "Path::Class::File" class contains functionality for manipulating
file names in a cross-platform way.
METHODS¶
- $file = Path::Class::File->new( <dir1>, <dir2>, ...,
<file> )
- $file = file( <dir1>, <dir2>, ..., <file> )
- Creates a new "Path::Class::File" object and returns it. The
arguments specify the path to the file. Any volume may also be specified
as the first argument, or as part of the first argument. You can use
platform-neutral syntax:
my $file = file( 'foo', 'bar', 'baz.txt' );
or platform-native syntax:
my $file = file( 'foo/bar/baz.txt' );
or a mixture of the two:
my $file = file( 'foo/bar', 'baz.txt' );
All three of the above examples create relative paths. To create an absolute
path, either use the platform native syntax for doing so:
my $file = file( '/var/tmp/foo.txt' );
or use an empty string as the first argument:
my $file = file( '', 'var', 'tmp', 'foo.txt' );
If the second form seems awkward, that's somewhat intentional - paths like
"/var/tmp" or "\Windows" aren't cross-platform
concepts in the first place, so they probably shouldn't appear in your
code if you're trying to be cross-platform. The first form is perfectly
fine, because paths like this may come from config files, user input, or
whatever.
- $file->stringify
- This method is called internally when a "Path::Class::File"
object is used in a string context, so the following are equivalent:
$string = $file->stringify;
$string = "$file";
- $file->volume
- Returns the volume (e.g. "C:" on Windows, "Macintosh
HD:" on Mac OS, etc.) of the object, if any. Otherwise, returns the
empty string.
- $file->basename
- Returns the name of the file as a string, without the directory portion
(if any).
- $file->components
- Returns a list of the directory components of this file, followed by the
basename.
Note: unlike "$dir->components", this method currently does not
accept any arguments to select which elements of the list will be
returned. It may do so in the future. Currently it throws an exception if
such arguments are present.
- $file->is_dir
- Returns a boolean value indicating whether this object represents a
directory. Not surprisingly, "Path::Class::File" objects always
return false, and Path::Class::Dir objects always return true.
- $file->is_absolute
- Returns true or false depending on whether the file refers to an absolute
path specifier (like "/usr/local/foo.txt" or
"\Windows\Foo.txt").
- $file->is_relative
- Returns true or false depending on whether the file refers to a relative
path specifier (like "lib/foo.txt" or
".\Foo.txt").
- $file->cleanup
- Performs a logical cleanup of the file path. For instance:
my $file = file('/foo//baz/./foo.txt')->cleanup;
# $file now represents '/foo/baz/foo.txt';
- $dir->resolve
- Performs a physical cleanup of the file path. For instance:
my $file = file('/foo/baz/../foo.txt')->resolve;
# $file now represents '/foo/foo.txt', assuming no symlinks
This actually consults the filesystem to verify the validity of the
path.
- $dir = $file->dir
- Returns a "Path::Class::Dir" object representing the directory
containing this file.
- $dir = $file->parent
- A synonym for the "dir()" method.
- $abs = $file->absolute
- Returns a "Path::Class::File" object representing $file as an
absolute path. An optional argument, given as either a string or a
Path::Class::Dir object, specifies the directory to use as the base of
relativity - otherwise the current working directory will be used.
- $rel = $file->relative
- Returns a "Path::Class::File" object representing $file as a
relative path. An optional argument, given as either a string or a
"Path::Class::Dir" object, specifies the directory to use as the
base of relativity - otherwise the current working directory will be
used.
- $foreign = $file->as_foreign($type)
- Returns a "Path::Class::File" object representing $file as it
would be specified on a system of type $type. Known types include
"Unix", "Win32", "Mac", "VMS", and
"OS2", i.e. anything for which there is a subclass of
"File::Spec".
Any generated objects (subdirectories, files, parents, etc.) will also
retain this type.
- $foreign = Path::Class::File->new_foreign($type, @args)
- Returns a "Path::Class::File" object representing a file as it
would be specified on a system of type $type. Known types include
"Unix", "Win32", "Mac", "VMS", and
"OS2", i.e. anything for which there is a subclass of
"File::Spec".
The arguments in @args are the same as they would be specified in
"new()".
- $fh = $file->open($mode, $permissions)
- Passes the given arguments, including $file, to
"IO::File->new" (which in turn calls
"IO::File->open" and returns the result as an IO::File
object. If the opening fails, "undef" is returned and $! is
set.
- $fh = $file->openr()
- A shortcut for
$fh = $file->open('r') or croak "Can't read $file: $!";
- $fh = $file->openw()
- A shortcut for
$fh = $file->open('w') or croak "Can't write to $file: $!";
- $fh = $file->opena()
- A shortcut for
$fh = $file->open('a') or croak "Can't append to $file: $!";
- $file->touch
- Sets the modification and access time of the given file to right now, if
the file exists. If it doesn't exist, "touch()" will make
it exist, and - YES! - set its modification and access time to now.
- $file->slurp()
- In a scalar context, returns the contents of $file in a string. In a list
context, returns the lines of $file (according to how $/ is set) as a
list. If the file can't be read, this method will throw an exception.
If you want "chomp()" run on each line of the file, pass a true
value for the "chomp" or "chomped" parameters:
my @lines = $file->slurp(chomp => 1);
You may also use the "iomode" parameter to pass in an IO mode to
use when opening the file, usually IO layers (though anything accepted by
the MODE argument of "open()" is accepted here). Just make sure
it's a reading mode.
my @lines = $file->slurp(iomode => ':crlf');
my $lines = $file->slurp(iomode => '<:encoding(UTF-8)');
The default "iomode" is "r".
Lines can also be automatically split, mimicking the perl command-line
option "-a" by using the "split" parameter. If this
parameter is used, each line will be returned as an array ref.
my @lines = $file->slurp( chomp => 1, split => qr/\s*,\s*/ );
The "split" parameter can only be used in a list context.
- $file->spew( $content );
- The opposite of "slurp", this takes a list of strings and prints
them to the file in write mode. If the file can't be written to, this
method will throw an exception.
The content to be written can be either an array ref or a plain scalar. If
the content is an array ref then each entry in the array will be written
to the file.
You may use the "iomode" parameter to pass in an IO mode to use
when opening the file, just like "slurp" supports.
$file->spew(iomode => '>:raw', $content);
The default "iomode" is "w".
- $file->spew_lines( $content );
- Just like "spew", but, if $content is a plain scalar, appends $/
to it, or, if $content is an array ref, appends $/ to each element of the
array.
Can also take an "iomode" parameter like "spew". Again,
the default "iomode" is "w".
- $file->traverse(sub { ... }, @args)
- Calls the given callback on $file. This doesn't do much on its own, but
see the associated documentation in Path::Class::Dir.
- $file->remove()
- This method will remove the file in a way that works well on all
platforms, and returns a boolean value indicating whether or not the file
was successfully removed.
"remove()" is better than simply calling Perl's
"unlink()" function, because on some platforms (notably VMS) you
actually may need to call "unlink()" several times before all
versions of the file are gone - the "remove()" method handles
this process for you.
- $st = $file->stat()
- Invokes "File::stat::stat()" on this file and returns a
File::stat object representing the result.
- $st = $file->lstat()
- Same as "stat()", but if $file is a symbolic link,
"lstat()" stats the link instead of the file the link points
to.
- $class = $file->dir_class()
- Returns the class which should be used to create directory objects.
Generally overridden whenever this class is subclassed.
- $copy = $file->copy_to( $dest );
- Copies the $file to $dest. It returns a Path::Class::File object when
successful, "undef" otherwise.
- $moved = $file->move_to( $dest );
- Moves the $file to $dest, and updates $file accordingly.
It returns $file is successful, "undef" otherwise.
AUTHOR¶
Ken Williams, kwilliams@cpan.org
SEE ALSO¶
Path::Class, Path::Class::Dir, File::Spec