CLASS METHOD PARAMETER PARSER
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by Darren Duncan <perl@DarrenDuncan.net>

SYNOPSIS

	use Class::ParamParser;
	@ISA = qw( Class::ParamParser );

	sub textfield {
		my $self = shift( @_ );
		my $rh_params = $self->params_to_hash( \@_, 0,
			[ 'name', 'value', 'size', 'maxlength' ],
			{ 'default' => 'value' } );
		$rh_params->{'type'} = 'text';
		return( $self->make_html_tag( 'input', $rh_params ) );
	}

	sub AUTOLOAD {
		my $self = shift( @_ );
		my $rh_params = $self->params_to_hash( \@_, 0, 'text', {}, 'text' );
		my $ra_text = delete( $rh_params->{'text'} );
		$AUTOLOAD =~ m/([^:]*)$/;
		my $tag_name = $1;
		return( $self->make_html_tag( $tag_name, $rh_params, $ra_text ) );
	}

DESCRIPTION

This Perl 5 object class implements two methods which inherited classes can use
to tidy up parameter lists for their own methods and functions.  The two methods
differ in that one returns a HASH ref containing named parameters and the other
returns an ARRAY ref containing positional parameters.

Both methods can process the same kind of input parameter formats: 

	empty list 
	value 
	value1, value2, ... 
	name1 => value1, name2 => value2, ... 
	-name1 => value1, -name2 => value2, ... 
	{ -name1 => value1, name2 => value2, ... } 
	{ name1 => value1, -name2 => value2, ... }, valueR 

Those examples included single or multiple positional parameters, single or
multiple named parameters, and a HASH ref containing named parameters (with
optional "remaining" value afterwards).  That list of input variations is not
exhaustive.  Named parameters can either be prefixed with "-" or left natural. 
In addition, your methods can have multiple aliases for named parameters, but
your own code would only have to deal with a single one.

For a complete description, please refer to the POD that is contained in the
module itself.

To see full-fledged examples of this module in use, check out my other modules
named HTML::TagMaker and HTML::FormMaker, each of whose methods accept a wide
variety of argument formats due to the use of Class::ParamParser.

KEEPING UP TO DATE

These modules are constantly under development.  You should be able to find the
newest versions at my website, "http://www.DarrenDuncan.net", on the page called
"Perl Libraries I Made" (name subject to change).  They can also be found on CPAN
under the author name of "DUNCAND".  

I am inclined to update the copies on my web site more often, but those
intermediate versions are more likely to have been tested less, and the modules
may be updated day by day without increasing the version numbers.  However, the
copies on CPAN are guaranteed to have unique version numbers when the module has
changed.

REQUIREMENTS

All of my modules require Perl 5.004 or newer, even though only some of them need
it, in the interest of consistency.  This module doesn't require anything else.

INSTALLATION

I haven't gotten around to doing makefiles, so you will have to install this the
old fashioned way, by copying.  The file "ParamParser.pm" goes inside the "Class"
folder which is in the "lib" folder that came with your Perl 5 distribution.  Or
alternately, put it anywhere you want, but you will need to have that location
added to your include path by your main program using something like this:

	use lib '/users/me/www_files/lib';

Any existing POD is embedded in the module itself, so you will have to look there
to see it, or run a POD extractor on it yourself, or look at the copy on CPAN
that is dutifully extracted and turned to HTML.

SUPPORT

Currently I don't have any support arranged with other people, lists, newsgroups,
or otherwise.  Feel free to ask me if you can't figure things out on your own, or
another person whom you know has used this.

AUTHOR

Copyright (c) 1999-2000, Darren R. Duncan. All rights reserved. These modules are
free software; you can redistribute them and/or modify them under the same terms
as Perl itself.  However, I do request that their copyright information remains
attached to the files.  If you modify this module and redistribute a changed
version then please attach a note listing the modifications.

I am always interested in knowing how my work helps others, so if you put this
module to use in any of your own code then please send me the URL.  Also, if you
make modifications to the module because it doesn't work the way you need, please
send me a copy so that I can roll desirable changes into the main release.

Address comments, suggestions, and bug reports to perl@DarrenDuncan.net.

Share and Enjoy!