NAME

Reuters::SSL - Perl extension for Reuters SSL Source Sink Library

SYNOPSIS

  use Reuters::SSL;

  $retval = sslInit();
  $channel = sslSnkMount(username);
  $retval = sslSnkOpen(Channel, Service, Item [, RequestType] );
  $retval = sslRegisterCallback(Channel, EventType, refToCallbackFunction);
  $retval = sslDispatchEvent(Channel, MaxEvents);
  $retval = sslSnkClose(Channel, Service, Item);
  $retval = sslDismount(Channel);
  ($retval,$fd) = sslGetPropery(Channel,1);
  $ErrorText = sslGetErrorText();
  $retval = sslPostEvent(Channel, EventType, InfoHash);
  $retval = sslErrorLog(FileName, maxFileSize);

  sub callback()
  {
    my $channel = shift;
    my $event = shift;
    my $refHash = shift;
    my %EventHash = \${refHash};
  }

DESCRIPTION

Reuters::SSL ist the Perl Extension to the Reuters Source Sink Library, THE Reuters API to access realtime data from a Reuters Triarch. The Extension itself is first of all a simple wrapper to the Library - functions itself, but furthermore it gives back the data not with the C-like Pointers to any structure rather than in a more perl-like hash.

What a comfort!

But you need a full installation of the Reuters SSL-API which can be bought directly at Reuters. Please contact your Reuters representative if you are in doubt.

WARNING: This software is not supported by Reuters nor is it developed by Reuters and in any case Reuters can be made responsible for any damages or misfunction of this software.

If you would like to learn more about the Reuters SSL API look in the manuals of Reuters. They are very good written an can be well understood if you know what you want to do. In such terms the Extension is mostly self-explaning because the functions are the same. But I include a brief description of how it works:

Initializing: Before any Realtime-Data can be received with the library one call to sslInit has to be made. This could also have been implemented withing the autoloader for the extension, but I found it more handy to do it myself when I want to initialize the C-Library.

Mounting: After initializing the library you can do a sink mount onto the the triarch. If the username is left blank it takes the username of the currently logged in user. The return value should by a number greater or equal to zero which indicates that the mount was successfull and the returnvalue is the channel which is the key value to identifie a connection to the triarch. The connection is done to the distributor given in your /var/triarch/ipcroute file.

SinkOpen: With the connection to the triarch it is possible to Open an Item (RIC). But to receive any data you have to register a callback for the data you want to receive and call sslDispatchEvent. Within the call to dispatchEvent the callback function is called as many as events are outstanding to be delivered to the client. If you have no idea how this works see the test.pl. It's quite self explaning.

since 0.52: You can pass an additional parameter to set the Request_Type to: SSL_RT_NORMAL ( the default - value ) SSL_RT_SNAPSHOT ( Only 1 Image is received and the item is closed by the lib ) SSL_RT_HOST ( like normal, but the source is instructed to retrieve the item from the remote host. UNTESTED!! )

SinkClose: Once you have decided not to receive any further updates for a given Item you close the item on the distributor.

Dismount: This closes all open items and closes the connection to the distributor. The channel will be invalidated and can't be used to further Sinkopens. If you would like to Open again you first have to Mount to the distributor.

GetProperty: This is a quite not very good implementation. It can only return the associated file descriptior to the given channel. Therefore only the Property-Option can only be 1. Any try to retrieve anything else would lead to unknmown results including the crash of the whole machine.

PostEvent: This function is used to contribute data to the triarch network. Normally this service is not the IDN_SELECTFEED rather than called something like DCS or DCS_MARKETLINK or MLCS. The third parameter (InfoHash) must contain the keys for: ServiceName InsertName Data DataLength

But be careful. Perl does not recognize right the length of the Datastring with the length() function because of the special characters included in this string. Count yourself!

AUTHOR

C. Barkey, christian.barkey@hvb.lu

SEE ALSO

perl(1).

TODO

Full implementation of the sslGetProperty.

Actually there is only the Sink - Methods implemented and the PostEvent for contributing data to the triarch.

Comfortable Functions for bulding up the data - string for contributing and receiving data. One ugly could be found in the test.pl but it is really not very useful.

If you feel that there is still something else missing, don't hesitate to contact me and I will see what I can do for you.

WARNING The Code is actually in alpha release and not yet sophisticated tested and verified. Furthermore there are actually no type-checkes to ensure proper call tp the XS-functions so be carefull and read the manuals and this documentation.

COPYRIGHT

This software is published under the terms of the GPL.

CHANGES

0.02 Added parameter checks to xs-functions 0.50 Found some memory leaks but was unable to fix them 0.51 Fixed forgotten returnvalue of callback and added some static casts to avoid compiler warnings (Thanks to Waseem Wali) 0.52 added sslErrorLog - function to log into defined files and not only the default files added optional Parameter to sslSnkOpen to change the RequestType to Normal/Snapshot/Host worked on test.pl to make the output more readable (Thanks to Waseem Wali for proposals)

cpanm Reuters::SSL

perl -MCPAN -e shell
install Reuters::SSL