Revision history for Perl extension File::Util.pm
3.14_1
1/2/03, 3:47 am
Added a substantial amount of new documentation. Spelling errors in
documentation files corrected.
Previously available method, File::Util::os(), has been dropped from the
namespace and is no longer part of the module.
Method File::Util::file_type() no longer includes the 'tty' keyword among
its list of recognized file types, as the native Perl file test for
divining a TTY file can only be used on open file handles.
The keywords returned by this method are all upper case strings as of
version 3.13_9, though the release notes for that version errantly did
not include this statement. The list of keywords otherwise remains
unchanged:
PLAIN TEXT
BINARY DIRECTORY
SYMLINK PIPE
SOCKET BLOCK
CHARACTER
3.14_0
12/27/02, 5:50 pm
File::Util no longer @ISA Handy::Dandy, and no longer includes it
as a prerequisite dependency. Added a little more documentation,
but it has a _long_ way to go as yet.
3.13_9
12/23/02, 3:22 pm
A few small changes; no longer lists Handy::Dandy::TimeTools as a
prerequisite dependency.
3.13_8
12/22/02, 11:31 pm
Method File::Util::file_type() now returns a list instead of a single
string of concatenated keyword substrings, the file type keywords being:
plain text
binary directory
symlink pipe
socket block
character tty
Methods File::Util::load_file() and File::Util::open_handle() both will
truly guarantee the uniqueness of the underlying file handle which is
auto-generated, whereas before measures to achieve the uniqueness of
the file handles were taken, but not verified.
POD documentation got a big update.
3.13_7
12/6/02, 2:56 pm
Almost ready for CPAN!
License changed from the GNU LGPL to Perl's own licensing scheme.
Various tweaks to compile-time sequences.
Previously subroutines, SL and NL are now constants. This makes them
easier to use when importing them to your main program. Instead of
having to type "print('foo' . NL . NL)", you can type the more intuitive
"print('foo' . NL x 2)". The same applies for SL, though it's not likely
you'll be wanting to print out more than one SL character in sequence.
This shouldn't break previous usage of these exported names.
Small reference material section appended to the general documentation
file contained in 'docs-basic.txt' (part of this distribution)
3.13_4
11/14/02, 1:22 pm
Got rid of all variables in @EXPORT_OK, namely:
$OS
$EBCDIC
$NL
$SL
I wanted to export only methods, seeing as exporting variables just isn't
right, no matter how convenient it might be. There are two new methods,
and they are both autoloaded, namely:
File::Util::os()
File::Util::ebcdic()
These two methods take no arguments, and return only the value of the
previously EXPORT_OK'ed "$OS" and "$EBCDIC"
Added more thorough testing to distribution tests lineup, and an
additional set of tests in an automated "empty subclass test" of the
modules native methods and all those it inherits from its ancestral
classes.
More flock() related tweaking in private methods that implement
File::Util's automatic, transparent file locking mechanism.
3.13_3
11/13/02, 9:41 pm
Slightly optimized recursive directory listing features of package method
File::Util::list_dir() and moved less-used method File::Util::load_dir()
to AUTOLOAD.
Got rid of stupid method File::Util::EB which was previously
used for error bracketing around dynamic values quoted in error messages;
this has nothing to do with file handling -the purpose of this module.
Global vars $AUTOLOAD and $ATL are gone, since moving to the use of Perl's
native AUTOLOAD extension from the old autoloading mechanism.
Added/removed functionality tests in the distribution installer according
to these changes.
3.13_1
11/13/02, 1:40 am
Fixed problem that caused File::Util to not recognize its set flock
usage policy, and flock failthrough rule set when either was manually
set during runtime. Added more flock tests to distribution test scripts.
3.13_1
11/4/02, 12:28 pm
Further preparations made to ready the module for PAUSE upload.
3.13_0
Method 'list_dir()' now recognizes a new option, '--ignore-case'. When
this option is included among the other arguments you pass in, the list
of items returned will be sorted alphabetically from A to Z without
respect to character case.
Accordingly, when the '--ignore-case' option is used the contents of
a directory that would normally appear ordered like the items in
Example A would instead appear ordered like the items in the order of
Example B.
Example A. (default list order of directory contents)
Changes COPYING MANIFEST Makefile.PL README test.pl
Example B. (case insensitive order)
COPYING Changes Makefile.PL MANIFEST README test.pl
3.12_9
10/27/02, 1:54 pm
Various places where warnings were surfacing undesirably have been
corrected. General preparations made to upload File::Util to PAUSE and
ultimately be included in the CPAN.
3.12_7
10/10/02, 11:56 pm
Method 'list_dir_a()' no longer suffixes directory items with the
system path separator by force.
3.12_6
10/4/02, 4:22 am
Fixed serious problem with flock() wrapper which was previously not
working at all when global setting '--fatals-as-status' or global
setting '--fatals-as-warning' were used. An upgrade to the present
release of File::Util from versions predating this release (3.12_6) is
seriously recommended!
3.12_5
10/1/02, 7:46 pm
More performance improvements.
New argument flags recognized by method 'new':
'--fatals-as-warning' The new File::Util object will CORE::warn()
about otherwise fatal errors instead of
failing and exiting the process.
'--fatals-as-status' The new File::Util object will return(undef)
to method calls that would otherwise cause
fatal errors.
Method 'write_file' now recognizes the argument flag,
'--empty-writes-OK', as an alternative means of allowing the
creation of empty files without reaping a nasty fatal error. Up
until now, setting $File::Util::empty_writes to a true value was the
only way to accomplish this.
3.12_4
9/23/02, 2:30 pm
Fixed 'deep recursion' problem in AUTOLOAD
3.12_3
9/23/02, 1:18 pm
Added AUTOLOAD and moved lots of methods away into space. They get
AUTOLOAD-ed when needed, but not compiled as routines in the module.
This greatly improves compile-time and run-time performance now.
Got rid of methods 'get()' and 'set()'; they're largely useless.
Got rid of variable '$File::Util::canhackit'; no longer used.
3.12_2
9/11/02, 12:35 am
Moved to OOorNO interface design in order to provide both an Object-
Oriented and a Procedural (non-Object-Oriented) programming style
interface to File::Util.
1.10
Thursday, March 14, 2002, 1:29:55 AM
Constants are now class attributes independent of the constructor method.
File::Util objects should always get these constants regardless.
Constants and OS identification extended upon code from CGI.pm v.2.78
(go Lincoln, it's your birthday, get busy...) as such, File::Util got path
separator help to better support a wider variety of platforms.
Additionally, constants contributed to a major overhaul of how File::Util
handles newlines.
1.09
Thursday, March 14, 2002, 1:29:55 AM
Error messages got their own place as predefined key-value pairs in an
anonymous hash independent of any class methods. eg-they are committed to
memory at compile time for speedy destruction of intentionally halted
processes.
1.07
Saturday, February 9, 2002, 3:32:57 PM
new method: File::Util::open_handle. This method lets user pass a
typeglob reference (eg- *TYPG) and in return the user will get back a new
file handle which is opened to the filename of their specifications.
1.06
Tuesday, February 5, 2002, 9:47:35 AM
Fixed a bug in File::Util::stamp() which made times during the hour of
12:00 PM appear with the 'AM' suffix rather than the correct 'PM suffix.
Added a new format type to File::Util::stamp() called 'file' or 'filename'
which returns a timestamp suitable for placing into the name of a file
in order to archive old files or versions of code with a time/date stamp
embedded into the filename for easy lookup.
1.05
Wednesday, December 5, 2001, 1:36:48 AM
Added a few more methods of the same nature as File::Util::size(). Passing
in a format keyword argument returns a formatted timestamp. Format
keywords described in detail within the overview entry for previous
version 1.02. Now an overview of new methods:
File::Util::created([filename][format])
returns the creation time of the file in seconds since the epoch. The
value returned is then passed back in the same format as the value
returned from a call to Perl's built-in function: time()
consequently, the value returned is suitable for feeding to
localtime, or any private methods and functions expecting the same
type of input.
As such, a call to this method on a file which was created at:
Thursday, December 6, 2001, 4:27:57 PM
...would return the value: 1007684877
File::Util::last_mod([filename][format])
Returns the last modified time of the file you pass to it in seconds
since the epoch. Just as with the new created() method described
above, the value returned comes in the same format as the value
returned from a call to time(), and is therefore suitable for feeding
to localtime() or any other private function or method expecting input
of the same type.
As such, a call to this method on a file which was last modified at:
Sunday, December 2, 2001, 12:05:21 AM
...would return the value: 1007280321
File::Util::last_access([filename][format])
Same as the two previously described methods, only this method returns
the number of seconds since the epoch to the time when the specified
file was last accessed.
As such, a call to this method on a file which was last accessed at:
Thursday, December 6, 2001, 12:00:00 AM
...would return the value: 1007625600
1.04
Wednesday, December 5, 2001, 1:36:48 AM
Fixed some of the checks on files for existence, added the
File::Util::file_size([filename]) method which returns the size of the
filename you pass as the only argument.
1.03
Thursday, November 29, 2001, 12:54:07 AM
Re-visited the time/date methods to work out a bug which was causing file
creation and last-modified times to be returned with incorrect values.
1.02
Tuesday, November 27, 2001, 2:23:55 PM
More directory listing options. Method File::Util::stamp() now takes
optional format keyword argument; it lets you choose between different
output formats for the returned time stamp. Format keywords are thus:
--short 5/15/02, 4:22 pm
--formal Saturday, June 15, 2002, 4:22 pm
--long same as '--formal'
--succinct Sat 5/15/02 16:22:43
--ISO Sat, 15 Jun 2002 16.22.43 GMT
--filename -June-15-2002-16.22.43
--file same as '--filename'
--mdy 5/15/02
--hm 4:22 pm
--hms 4:22:43 pm
--24hms 16:22:43
--dayofmonth 15
--dayofyear 134 (1 - 365)
--dayofweek Saturday
--dayofweek, --num 7
--month June
--month, --num 6
--year 2002
--shortyear 02
--minute 22
--hour 16 (0 - 24)
--second 43
1.01
Wednesday, November 21, 2001, 4:00:00 PM
All methods now include very detailed error messages and a stack trace
to help quickly track down mistakes. You can fix mistakes now without
having to decipher some cryptic error message which no one can understand
and whose origin one can guess :o(
1.00
Sunday, September 23, 2001 4:18:30 PM
Initial release of File::Util.pm