NAME

SQL::OrderBy - Transform an SQL "order by" clause

SYNOPSIS

  use SQL::OrderBy;

  @order = SQL::OrderBy::toggle_resort(
      order_by => ['name', 'artist', 'album'],
      selected => 'artist',
      show_ascending => 1,
  );  # ('artist asc', 'name asc', 'album asc')

  # resort ad infinitum
  $initial_order = 'name, artist, album';
  print scalar SQL::OrderBy::toggle_resort(
      selected => 'time',
      order_by => scalar SQL::OrderBy::toggle_resort(
          selected => 'artist',
          order_by => scalar SQL::OrderBy::toggle_resort(
              selected => 'artist',
              order_by => $initial_order,
          )
      )
  );  # 'time, artist desc, name, album'

The following functions are either used by the resort function(s) or exist to allow compatibility with other SQL statement handling modules.

  %direction = SQL::OrderBy::to_asc_desc( \%direction );
  # (name=>'', artist=>'desc', album=>'')

  %direction = SQL::OrderBy::to_asc_desc(
      \%direction,
      show_ascending => 1
  );  # (name=>'asc', artist=>'desc', album=>'asc')

  @columns = SQL::OrderBy::get_columns(
      order_by => 'Name, Artist Desc, Album'
  );  # ('Name', 'Artist Desc', 'Album')

  $columns = SQL::OrderBy::get_columns(
      order_by => ['NAME', 'ARTIST DESC', 'ALBUM'],
      show_ascending => 1,
      uc_direction   => 1,
  );  # 'NAME ASC, ARTIST DESC, ALBUM ASC'

  # Fetch the columns as a name array and direction hashes.
  @columns = SQL::OrderBy::get_columns(
      order_by => 'name, artist deSc, album',
      name_direction    => 1,
      numeric_direction => 1,
  );  # ( ['name', 'artist', 'album'],
      #   {name=>1, artist=>0, album=>1},
      #   {name=>'', artist=>'deSc', album=>''} )

  # Output a "column direction" array.
  @columns = SQL::OrderBy::col_dir_list(
      \@column_names, \%direction
  );  # ('name', 'artist desc', 'album')

DESCRIPTION

This package simply transforms an SQL "order by" clause by moving or adding column names and toggling their ascending/descending state.

PRIMARY FUNCTIONS

toggle_resort

  @columns = toggle_resort(
      order_by => $order_clause_or_list,
      selected => $column_name,
      show_ascending    => $w,
      uc_direction      => $x,
      name_direction    => $y,
      numeric_direction => $z,
  );

  $columns = toggle_resort(
      order_by => $order_clause_or_list,
      selected => $column_name,
      show_ascending => $w,
      uc_direction   => $x,
  )

This function implements a simple but essential feature of GUI database environments, where the user interacts with a database table by sorting and resorting via "toggled" column headings during search refinement.

In this, the selected column name is moved (or added) to the beginning of the clause. If this column was the first in the original clause, its sort direction is flipped between ascending (asc) and descending (desc).

This function takes a required SQL "order by" clause that can be provided as either a string or an array reference, and a "selected" column name. If no selected column is provided, no "toggling" or moving is done.

In a scalar context, this function returns the clause as a comma separated string. In an array context, this function returns a list of column names with their respective sort directions.

These optional flags affect the format of the returned data structure and are all off by default.

  Expose the ascending column directions.
  show_ascending => 0

  Render any new alpha column direction in uppercase.
  uc_direction => 0

  Return references to the column names and their directions.
  (only makes sense in an array context)
  name_direction => 0

  Return Boolean column directions, instead of asc/desc.
  (only makes sense if the name_direction flag is on)
  numeric_direction => 0

CONVENIENCE FUNCTIONS

get_columns

  @columns = get_columns (
      order_by => $order_clause_or_list,
      # Optional arguments:
      show_ascending    => $w,
      uc_direction      => $x,
      name_direction    => $y,
      numeric_direction => $z,
  );

  $columns = get_columns (
      order_by => $order_clause_or_list,
      # Optional arguments:
      show_ascending => $w,
      uc_direction   => $x,
  );

This function simply returns a well formed order by clause or list. It can accept either a string or array reference for the order_by argument.

In a scalar context, this function returns the clause as a (CSV) string. In an array context, this function returns a list of column names with their respective sort directions as numeric hash and a hash of the exact sort directions passed in.

* The optional arguments are described in the toggle_resort function documentation, above.

col_dir_list

  @columns = col_dir_list (\@columns, \%direction);

Return an array of column names with their respective directions concatinated.

This function takes a reference to an array of column names and a reference to a direction hash.

to_asc_desc

  %direction = to_asc_desc (
      \%direction,
      # Optional arguments:
      show_ascending => $w,
      uc_direction   => $x,
  )

Return column directions as alpha keywords in place of their numeric eqivalents.

If the direction hash contains any alpha (asc/desc) values, the function uses those by default.

* The optional arguments are described in the toggle_resort function documentation, above.

DEPENDENCIES

None.

EXPORTS

None, Nothing, Nada.

TO DO

Add functions for different kinds of resorting.

AUTHOR

Gene Boggs <gene@cpan.org>

COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE

Copyright 2003 by Gene Boggs

This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.

cpanm SQL::OrderBy

perl -MCPAN -e shell
install SQL::OrderBy