NAME

Palm::Ztxt - Perl extension for creating and manipulating zTXTs using libztxt.

DESCRIPTION

First off, this module is NOT related to Palm::ZTxt module found on the weasel reader website (http://gutenpalm.sourceforge.net/files/Palm-ZText-0.1.tar.gz). The module, Palm-ZText-0.1, is a pure perl module that allows for the manipulation of zTXTs; this module however, is an XS interface to the ztxt library used by the Weasel Reader (http://gutenpalm.sourceforge.net/), with the addition that This module extends on libztext somewhat to give access to some fields that libztxt does not provide api functions for.

STATUS

This module seems to be stable; however, the API is not 100% finalized, it has not had much use in a production envionment, and more tests need to be written.

SYNOPSIS

  use Palm::Ztxt;
  my $ztxt = new Palm::Ztxt;
  $ztxt->set_title($title);
  $ztxt->set_data($data);
  $ztxt->add_bookmark($bkmark_title, $offset);
  $ztxt->add_annotation($anno_title, $offset);
  my $zbook = $ztxt->get_output();

  my $ztxt = new Palm::Ztxt;
  $ztxt->disect($zbook);
  my $title = $ztxt->get_title();
  my $book = $ztxt->get_data();
  my $bookmarks = $ztxt->get_bookmarks();
  my $get_annotations = $ztxt->get_annotations();
  $ztxt->delete_bookmark($title, $offset);
  $ztxt->delete_annotation($title, $offset, $annotation);

  # Stuff that will probably never need to be changed
  $ztxt->set_type($type);
  $type = $ztxt->get_type();
  $ztxt->attribs($attribs);
  $attribs = $ztxt->attribs();
  $ztxt->creator($creator);
  $creator = $ztxt->creator();

  # Attributes that affect the way ztext processes()/generates() the ztext
  # These can be set at any time before $ztxt->get_output() is called.

  $ztxt->{process_length};
  $ztxt->{Wbits};
  $ztxt->{CompressType};
  $ztxt->{ProcessMethod};
  $ztxt->{attribs};

API DOCUMENTATION

• new()

    my $ztxt = Palm::Ztxt->new();

  Instantiate a new Palm::Ztxt object.

• disect()

  Takes a compressed zbook or a reference thereto and disects it so that it can be manipulated by this module.

    my $zbook = read_zbook();
    my $ztxt = new Palm::Ztxt();
    $ztxt->disect($zbook);
    $ztxt->disect(\$zbook);

• set_title()

  Set the title of a book:

    my $ztxt->title("Title of Book");

• get_title()

  Get the title of the book:

    my $title = $ztxt->title();

• set_data();

  This is the method whereby the book part of the zbook is setèd. set_data() takes a single parameter viz., a string (or a reference thereto) that is to become the body of the zTXT. If the length of the text is less than 2 characters, set_data will throw an exception because the zTXT library does not seem to have a concept of a NULL /really, relay short book.

    $ztxt->set_data($book);
    $ztxt->set_data(\$book);

• get_data();

  return the data portion of the zTXT. The book, as it were.

    my $book = $ztxt->get_data();

• get_output()

  Returns the compressed & compiled zTXT that can be sent to the palm or written to a file or sent to /dev/null. The output of this function can even be used as the input to $ztxt->disect.

  my $ztxt = $ztxt->get_output();

  if get_output notices that any of the $ztxt attributes are set incorrectly it will raise an exception, so if you try to set $ztxt->{compression_type} =9_999 hoping for really great compression the only thing you will get for your troubles is to have your script die (assuming no eval) when you call $ztxt->get_output()

• add_bookmark()

  Takes a title and an offset, and adds it to the zTXT. Call this as many times as you like, once for each bookmark that you wish to add.

  $ztxt->add_bookmark($title, $offset);

  The length of the title of the bookmark can be at most 20 characters. If the length of the title exceeds this limit, add_bookmark will throw an exception.

  [TODO: either the title of the bookmark will be truncated to 20 characters or Palm::Ztxt will throw an exception depending on the value of $ztxt-{FatalErrors}> ]

• get_bookmarks()

  Returns an reference to an array of references to hashes each containing 2 keys: 'title' and 'offset'.

    my $bookmark_hashref = $ztxt->get_bookmarks();
  
    $bookmark_hashref = [
        {title=> "Bookmark 1's title", offset=> "Bookmark 1's offset"},
        {title=> "Bookmark 2's title", offset=> "Bookmark 2's offset"},
        {title=> "Bookmark 3's title", offset=> "Bookmark 3's offset"},
    ];

• delete_bookmark()

  Removes a bookmark from an ebook.

    $ztxt->delete_bookmark($title, $offset);

  The offset must be specified because it is possible that there is more than one bookmark with the supplied title.

• add_annotation()

  Takes a title and an offset, and adds it to the zTXT. Call this as many times as you like, once for each bookmark that you wish to add.

  $ztxt->add_bookmark($title, $offset, $annotation);

  The length of the title of the annotation can be at most 20 characters. If the length of the title exceeds this limit, add_annotation will throw an exception.

• get_annotation()

  Returns an reference to an array of references to hashes each containing 3 keys: 'title' and 'offset' and 'annotation'.

    my $annotations_hashref = $ztxt->get_annotation();
  
    $annotations_hashref = [
        {
            title => "Annotation 1's title",
            offset=> "Annotation 1's offset",
            annotation => "Annotation 1 Annotation",
        },
        {
            title => "Annotation 2's title",
            offset=> "Annotation 2's offset",
            annotation => "Annotation 2 Annotation",
        },
    ];

• delete_annotation()

  Removes an annotation from an ebook.

    $ztxt->delete_annotation($title, $offset, $annotation);

  The offset & the annotation must be specified because it is possible that there is more than one annotation with the supplied title & offset?. (actually I just don't feel like testing this, and I don't plan on using delete_annotation() any time in the near future).

• set_creator()

  Change the creator of the database. The default creator, 'GPLm' should not be changed; however, the option is given to help help confuse programmers, and cause new users of this module endless amounts of pain while they track down bugs caused by assuming this functions does something other than what it does do, viz., Change the creator.

• type();

  Get or change the type of the database. The default of 'zTXT' probably should not be changed. You know what? Just pretend that this function does not exist. Skip over and look at the next one -- nothing to see here.

• get_attribs()

  Get the attributes associated with the zTXT. Refer to ztxt/palm docs for more information.

• set_attribs()

  Set the attributes associated with the zTXT.

ATTRIBUTES

• compression_type

  Get or set the compression type that zlib will use. The compression type can be either "1" for "on demand" or 2 for "max compression". On demand will all for random access within the zTXT and max compression will give you slightly better compression the default is the "on demand"

• process_method

  Get or set the method used to process the zTXT for output. The method used to process the zTXT can be one of the following:

  • method 0

    Scan the input buffer and calculate the average line length. Any line that exceeds this length will have its trailing \n removed. Also, extra 5 characters will be subtracted off of the autodetcted length to a minimum of 20

    When using a process type of 0 a length parameter can also be specified, and if it exists, it will be used instead of the calculated average line length.

  • method 1

    Expurgate line feeds from any non-blank line.

  • method 2

    Do not molest the text.

  Note: if the method is set to anything other than 2, then the offsets used for bookmarks and annotations will probably be wrong, so it would probably be best to leave the process method as the default of 2. The ability to change the processing method is provided for compatibility with the C library; use at your own risk.

• wbits

  Get or set the number of window bits used by zlib. The number of window bits can be anywhere between 8 and 15 inclusive. The larger the number the more memory that is used for compression and decompression. The default is 15 and there is probably no need to change this.

NOT IMPLEMENTED

The following functions are part of the makeztxt library; however, they are not implemented by this module because, well, 1. I did not feel like it, and 2. they are not really needed.

• add_regex()

• crc32()

• list_bookmarks()

• get_num_annotations()

• get_num_bookmarks()

• strip_spaces()

• whitepsace()

• sanitize_string()

EXPORT

None.

KNOWN BUGS

• passing an invalid zTXT to disect will cause a segfault :(.

  so don't do something like $ztxt->disect(\"Garbage"), like I do when testing

• Tests.

  There needs to be more tests, and the test files need to be reorged & cleaned up

SEE ALSO

For more information refer to the libztxt libraries that come with the Weasel Reader.

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AUTHOR

Rudolf Lippan <rlippan@remotelinux.com>

COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE

Copyright 2003-2008 by Rudolf Lippan <rlippan@remotelinux.com>

The inlcuded makeztxt library is copyright by its author. See makeztxt-1.62/COPYING and makeztxt-1.62/libztxt/* for more information.