NAME¶
Test::CGI::Multipart - Test posting of multi-part form data
VERSION¶
This document describes Test::CGI::Multipart version 0.0.3
SYNOPSIS¶
use Test::CGI::Multipart;
my $tcm = Test::CGI::Multipart;
# specify the form parameters
$tcm->set_param(name='email',value=>'jim@hacker.com');
$tcm->set_param(name=>'pets',value=> ['Rex', 'Oscar', 'Bidgie', 'Fish']);
$tcm->set_param(name=>'first_name',value=>'Jim');
$tcm->set_param(name=>'last_name',value=>'Hacker');
$tcm->upload_file(
name=>'file1',
file=>'made_up_filename.txt',
value=>$content
);
$tcm->upload_file(
name=>'file1',
file=>'made_up_filename.blah',
value=>$content_blah,
type=>'application/blah'
);
# Behind the scenes this will fake the browser and web server behaviour
# with regard to environment variables, MIME format and standard input.
my $cgi = $tcm->create_cgi;
# Okay now we have a CGI object which we can pass into the code
# that needs testing and run the form handling various tests.
DESCRIPTION¶
It is quite difficult to write test code to capture the behaviour of CGI or
similar objects handling forms that include a file upload. Such code needs to
harvest the parameters, build file content in MIME format, set the environment
variables accordingly and pump it into the the standard input of the required
CGI object. This module provides simple methods so that having prepared
suitable content, the test script can simulate the submission of web forms
including file uploads.
However we also recognise that a test script is not always the best place to
prepare content. Rather a test script would rather specify requirements for a
file a upload: type, size, mismatches between the file name and its contents
and so on. This module cannot hope to provide such open ended functionality
but it can provide extension mechanisms.
This module works with CGI (the default), CGI::Minimal and CGI::Simple. In
principle it ought to work with all equivalent modules however each module has
a slightly different interface when it comes to file uploads and so requires
slightly different test code.
INTERFACE¶
Several of the methods below take named parameters. For convenience we define
those parameters here:
- "cgi"
- This option defines the CGI module. It should be a scalar
consisting only of alphanumeric characters and "::". It defaults
to 'CGI'.
- "name"
- This is the name of form parameter. It must be a
scalar.
- "value"
- This is the value of the form parameter. It should either
be a scalar or an array reference of scalars.
- "file"
- Where a form parameter represents a file, this is the name
of that file.
- "type"
- The MIME type of the content. This defaults to
'text/plain'.
- "ua"
- The HTTP_USER_AGENT environment variable. This defaults to
'Test::CGI::Multipart'.
new¶
An instance of this class might best be thought of as a "CGI object
factory". The constructor takes no parameters.
create_cgi¶
This returns a CGI object created according to the specification encapsulated in
the object. The exact mechanics are as follows:
- The parameters are packaged up in MIME format.
- The environment variables are set.
- A pipe is created. The far end of the pipe is attached to
our standard input and the MIME content is pushed through the pipe.
- The appropriate CGI class is required.
- Uploads are enabled if the CGI class is CGI::Simple.
- Global variables are reset for CGI and CGI::Minimal.
- The CGI object is created and returned.
As far as I can see this simulates what happens when a CGI script processes a
multi-part POST form. One can specify a different CGI class using the
"cgi" named parameter. One can set the HTTP_USER_AGENT environment
variable with the "ua" parameter.
set_param¶
This can be used to set a single form parameter. It takes two named arguments
"name" and "value". Note that this method overrides any
previous settings including file uploads.
get_param¶
This retrieves a single form parameter. It takes a single named parameter:
"name". The data returned will be a list either of scalar values or
(in the case of a file upload) of HASHREFs. The HASHREFs would have the
following fields: "file", "value" and "type"
representing the parameter name, the file name, the content and the MIME type
respectively.
get_names¶
This returns a list of stashed parameter names.
upload_file¶
In the absence of any defined callbacks, this method takes three mandatory named
parameters: "name", "file" and "value" and one
optional parameter "type". If there are any callbacks then the
parameters are passed through each of the callbacks and must meet the standard
parameter requirements by the time all the callbacks have been called.
Unlike the "set_param" method this will not override previous settings
for this parameter but will add. However setting a normal parameter and then
an upload on the same name will throw an error.
register_callback¶
Callbacks are used by the "upload_file" method, to allow a file to be
specified by properties rather than strict content. This method takes a single
named parameter called "callback", which adds that callback to an
internal array of callbacks. The idea being that the "upload_file"
method can take any arguments you like so long as after all the callbacks have
been applied, the parameters consist of "name", "file",
"value" and possibly "type". A callback should take and
return a single hash reference.
DIAGNOSTICS¶
- "unexpected data structure"
- During the construction of the MIME data, the internal data
structure turned out to have unexpected features. Since we control that
data structure that should not happen.
- "mismatch: is %s a file upload or not"
- The parameter was being used for both for file upload and
normal parameters.
CONFIGURATION AND ENVIRONMENT¶
Test::CGI::Multipart requires no configuration files or environment variables.
However it should be noted that the module will overwrite the following
environment variables:
- REQUEST_METHOD
- CONTENT_LENGTH
- CONTENT_TYPE
- HTTP_USER_AGENT
INCOMPATIBILITIES¶
I would like to get this working with CGI::Lite::Request and Apache::Request if
that makes sense. So far I have not managed that.
BUGS AND LIMITATIONS¶
No bugs have been reported.
Please report any bugs or feature requests to
"bug-test-cgi-multipart@rt.cpan.org", or through the web interface
at <
http://rt.cpan.org>.
This module depends upon MIME::Tools. Unfortunately that module does not handle
newlines quite correctly. That seems to work fine for email but does not work
with CGI. I have looked at MIME::Fast and MIME::Lite but MIME::Tools combined
with a hack seems the best that can be done at the moment. Sooner or later
someone is going to hit the limitations of that hack.
AUTHOR¶
Nicholas Bamber "<nicholas@periapt.co.uk>"
LICENCE AND COPYRIGHT¶
Copyright (c) 2010, Nicholas Bamber "<nicholas@periapt.co.uk>".
All rights reserved.
This module is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the
same terms as Perl itself. See perlartistic.
DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY¶
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