NAME¶
Path::Class::File - Objects representing files
VERSION¶
version 0.26
SYNOPSIS¶
use Path::Class qw(file); # Export a short constructor
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 $dir = file( 'foo', 'bar', 'baz.txt' );
or platform-native syntax:
my $dir = dir( 'foo/bar/baz.txt' );
or a mixture of the two:
my $dir = dir( '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 $dir = dir( '/var/tmp/foo.txt' );
or use an empty string as the first argument:
my $dir = dir( '', '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->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 $dir = dir('/foo/baz/../foo.txt')->resolve;
# $dir 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 $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(UTFaXX8)');
The default "iomode" is "r".
- $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 too, 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->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.
AUTHOR¶
Ken Williams, kwilliams@cpan.org
SEE ALSO¶
Path::Class, Path::Class::Dir, File::Spec