==== OVERVIEW ====
File::AptFetch provides API for APT (Advanced Package Tool, that's the
Debian package management system) methods. APT methods aren't
libraries, they are executables (placed, by default, in
/var/lib/apt/methods). So it's not XS (and can't be), F::AF forks.
However one doesn't need fork for each file or session. The IPC is
pipe (and can't be anything else (later, I'll check if socket can be
used instead of 2 pipes for each method)). As you can see there's a
limit of number of methods available simultaneously posed by the
maximum number of open filehandles (APT methods aren't that numerous
anyway).
The module is named File::AptFetch because it always fetches. I think
that's possible to develop a method that would bring away files, but,
at present, there's none. And I doubt there would be any.
Further reading:
: File::AptFetch
POD of the module. Covers API and provides examples of intended
usage. (bug) It's underdeveloped yet.
: File::AptFetch::Cookbook
Provides some useful, I believe, findings on each method behaviour
and an overview, of my understanding, how that stuff works. Look,
APT methods API documentation is quite outdated. Each method is
undocumented completely. (bug) My knowledge of APT methods is
very irregular, so is F::AF::C.
==== RUN-TIME REQUIREMENTS ====
: Perl
v. 5.6 or later. There're some oures spelled around.
: IO::Pipe
Any version. It's distributed with Perl itself, however, I didn't
elaborate to verify since what version.
==== BUILD-TIME REQUIREMENTS ====
: Test::More
Any version. Should be distributed with Perl itself too.
==== BUILD-TIME CONFIGURATION ====
: ``lib_method''
That sets location of APT methods. It's unrequired, it will be
set any time APT configuration is sourced. "_cache_configuration"
in File::AptFetch and "_uncache_configuration" in File::AptFetch
have more.
: ``config_source''
Required. ``ARRAY'' ref that will be execed.
"_cache_configuration" in File::AptFetch has more.
: ``signal''
Required. Names a signal that will be sent to method. "DESTROY"
in File::AptFetch has more.
: ``timeout''
(*v.0.0.8*) Required. I've believed, that could stay hardcoded.
I was wrong. "_read" in File::AptFetch has more.
==== TEST-SUITE ====
Two things should be tested in regard with F::AF:
: methods and structures
I wouldn't say I'm happy with this part (t/void.t). It's mostly a
crash-type testing. And a problem here is that I'm not completely
sure what an input (from methods side) here could be.
: APT methods itself
Only local methods are tested. And *cdrom* method, among them, is
no way touched. Remote methods are missing from the test-suite.
This problem is easily fixable -- some kind Perlist could upload
on CPAN some modules, in Test namespace, what would provide fake
servers of http://, ftp://, rsh:// etc protocols. Anyone?
And one note. F::AF is absolutely useles outside APT based world (I'm
not about *.deb, I'm about APT). Then t/file.t and t/copy.t skip
completely. Meanwhile t/void.t enables some cute workaround, that
would provide all needed ``apt-config(1)'' functionality without that
executable itself. (Just in case on that platform there will be
Debian some day.) But we still stay within POSIX world -- no future
outside.
==== AVAILABILITY ====
: pure distribution
: and debianization stuff too
# TODO
: subversion (root)
# TODO
==== BUGS ====
: please report here
: please don't report there
# TODO
==== COPYRIGHT AND LICENSING ====
: * Copyright 2009 by Eric Pozharski
: * AS-IS, NO-WARRANTY, HOPE-TO-BE-USEFUL
: * GNU Lesser General Public License v3