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NAME

Net::DNS::Packet - DNS packet object class

SYNOPSIS

use Net::DNS::Packet;

DESCRIPTION

A Net::DNS::Packet object represents a DNS packet.

METHODS

new

    $packet = new Net::DNS::Packet(\$data);
    $packet = new Net::DNS::Packet(\$data, 1);  # set debugging
    $packet = new Net::DNS::Packet("foo.com", "MX", "IN");

    ($packet, $err) = new Net::DNS::Packet(\$data);

If passed a reference to a scalar containing DNS packet data, new creates a packet object from that data. A second argument can be passed to turn on debugging output for packet parsing.

If passed a domain, type, and class, new creates a packet object appropriate for making a DNS query for the requested information.

If called in array context, returns a packet object and an error string. The error string will only be defined if the packet object is undefined (i.e., couldn't be created).

Returns undef if unable to create a packet object (e.g., if the packet data is truncated).

data

    $data = $packet->data;

Returns the packet data in binary format, suitable for sending to a nameserver.

    $header = $packet->header;

Returns a Net::DNS::Header object representing the header section of the packet.

question, zone

    @question = $packet->question;

Returns a list of Net::DNS::Question objects representing the question section of the packet.

In dynamic update packets, this section is known as zone and specifies the zone to be updated.

answer, pre, prerequisite

    @answer = $packet->answer;

Returns a list of Net::DNS::RR objects representing the answer section of the packet.

In dynamic update packets, this section is known as pre or prerequisite and specifies the RRs or RRsets which must (not) preexist.

authority, update

    @authority = $packet->authority;

Returns a list of Net::DNS::RR objects representing the authority section of the packet.

In dynamic update packets, this section is known as update and specifies the RRs or RRsets to be added or delted.

additional

    @additional = $packet->additional;

Returns a list of Net::DNS::RR objects representing the additional section of the packet.

print

    $packet->print;

Prints the packet data on the standard output in an ASCII format similar to that used in DNS zone files.

dn_expand

    ($name, $nextoffset) = dn_expand(\$data, $offset);

Expands the domain name stored at a particular location in a DNS packet. The first argument is a reference to a scalar containing the packet data. The second argument is the offset within the packet where the (possibly compressed) domain name is stored.

Returns the domain name and the offset of the next location in the packet.

Returns (undef, undef) if the domain name couldn't be expanded.

COPYRIGHT

Copyright (c) 1997 Michael Fuhr. All rights reserved. This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.

SEE ALSO

perl(1), Net::DNS, Net::DNS::Resolver, Net::DNS::Header, Net::DNS::Question, Net::DNS::RR, RFC 1035 Section 4.1