NAME
    Data::Serializer:: - Modules that serialize data structures

SYNOPSIS
      use Data::Serializer;
  
      $obj = Data::Serializer->new();

      $obj = Data::Serializer->new(
                              serializer => 'Storable',
                              digester   => 'MD5',
                              cipher     => 'DES',
                              secret     => 'my secret',
                              compress   => 1,
                            );

      $serialized = $obj->serialize({a => [1,2,3],b => 5});
      $deserialized = $obj->deserialize($serialized);
      print "$deserialized->{b}\n";

DESCRIPTION
    Provides a unified interface to the various serializing modules
    currently available. Adds the functionality of both compression and
    encryption.

METHODS
    new - constructor
          $obj = Data::Serializer->new();

          $obj = Data::Serializer->new(
                                 serializer => 'Data::Dumper',
                                 digester   => 'SHA1',
                                 cipher     => 'Blowfish',
                                 secret     => undef,
                                 portable   => '1',
                                 compress   => '0',
                           serializer_token => '1',
                                );

        new is the constructor object for Data::Serializer objects.

            The default *serializer* is `Data::Dumper'

            The default *digester* is `SHA1'

            The default *cipher* is `Blowfish'

            The default *secret* is `undef'

            The default *portable* is `1'

            The default *compress* is `0'

            The default *serializer_token* is `1'

    serialze - serialize referece
          $serialized = $obj->serialize({a => [1,2,3],b => 5});

        Serializes the reference sepecified.

        Will compress if compress is a true value.

        Will encrypt if secret is defined.

    deserialze - deserialize reference
          $deserialized = $obj->deserialize($serialized);

        Reverses the process of serialization and returns a copy of the
        original serialized reference.

    freeze - synonym for serialize
          $serialized = $obj->freeze({a => [1,2,3],b => 5});

    thaw - synonym for deserialize
          $deserialized = $obj->thaw($serialized);

    secret - specify secret for use with encryption
          $obj->secret('mysecret');

        Changes setting of secret for the Data::Serializer object. Can also
        be set in the constructor. If specified than the object will utilize
        encryption.

    portable - hex encodes/decodes serialized data
        Aids in the portability of serialized data.

    compress - compression of data
        Compresses serialized data. Default is not to use it.

    serialzer - change the serializer
        Currently have 3 supported serializers: Storable, FreezeThaw and
        Data::Dumper. Default is to use Data::Dumper.

        Each serializer has its own caveat's about usage expecially when
        dealing with cyclical data structures or CODE references. Please see
        the appropriate documentation in those modules for further
        information.

    cipher - change the cipher method
        Utilizes Crypt::CBC and can support any cipher method that it
        supports.

    digester - change digesting method
        Uses Digest so can support any digesting method that it supports.
        Digesting function is used internally by the encryption routine as
        part of data verification.

    serializer_token - add usage hint to data
        Data::Serializer prepends a token that identifies what was used to
        process its data. This is used internally to allow runtime
        determination of how to extract Serialized data. Disabling this
        feature is not recomended.

TODO
EXAMPLES
AUTHOR
    Neil Neely <neil@frii.net>.

    Serializer code inspired heavily by the work of Gurusamy Sarathy and
    Raphael Manfredi in the MLDBM module.

COPYRIGHT
    Copyright (c) 2001 Front Range Internet, Inc.

    Copyright (c) 2001 Neil Neely. 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), Data::Dumper(3), Storable(3), FreezeThaw(3), MLDBM(3).