update xml entry to be more complete and useful, thanks teejay

[catagits/Catalyst-Plugin-ConfigLoader.git] / lib / Catalyst / Plugin / ConfigLoader / Manual.pod

=head1 NAME 

Catalyst::Plugin::ConfigLoader::Manual - Guide to using the ConfigLoader plugin

=head1 BASIC USAGE

    package MyApp;
    
    use Catalyst qw( ConfigLoader ... );

=head1 ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES

=over 4

=item * C<MYAPP_CONFIG> - specific config file to load for "MyApp"

=item * C<CATALYST_CONFIG_LOCAL_SUFFIX> - global suffix for extra config files

=item * C<MYAPP_CONFIG_LOCAL_SUFFIX> - suffix specifically for "MyApp"

=back

=head1 CONFIG FORMATS

=head2 Config::General

=head3 Extensions

=over 4

=item * cnf

=item * conf

=back

=head3 Example Config

    name = TestApp
    <Component Controller::Foo>
        foo bar
    </Component>
    <Model Baz>
        qux xyzzy
    </Model>

=head2 INI

=head3 Extensions

=over 4

=item * ini

=back

=head3 Example Config

    name=TestApp
    
    [Controller::Foo]
    foo=bar
    
    [Model::Baz]
    qux=xyzzy

=head2 JSON

=head3 Extensions

=over 4

=item * jsn

=item * json

=back

=head3 Example Config

    {
        "name": "TestApp",
        "Controller::Foo": {
            "foo": "bar"
        },
        "Model::Baz": {
            "qux": "xyzzy"
        }
    }

=head2 Perl

=head3 Extensions

=over 4

=item * pl

=item * perl

=back

=head3 Example Config

    {
        name => 'TestApp',
        'Controller::Foo' => {
            foo => 'bar'
        },
        'Model::Baz' => {
            qux => 'xyzzy'
        }
    }

=head2 XML

=head3 Extensions

=over 4

=item * xml

=back

=head3 Example Config

 <config>
        <name>MyApp::CMS</name>
        <paths>
          <upload_dir>/var/www/docs/myapp-cms/uploads</upload_dir>
        </paths>
        <model name="DB">
          <connect_info>dbi:mysql:cmsdb</connect_info>
          <connect_info>user</connect_info>
          <connect_info>password</connect_info>
        </model>
        <component name="View::TT">
          <INCLUDE_PATH>/var/www/docs/myapp-cms/templates</INCLUDE_PATH>
          <ENCODING>UTF-8</ENCODING>
          <TRIM>1</TRIM>
          <PRE_CHOMP>2</PRE_CHOMP>
          <POST_CHOMP>2</POST_CHOMP>
        </component>

 </config>

Note that the name attribute for the C<model> tag should be the relative
namespace of the Catalyst model, not the absolute one.  That is for
C<MyApp::Model::Something> the C<name> attribute should be C<Something>.

=head2 YAML

=head3 Extensions

=over 4

=item * yml

=item * yaml

=back

=head3 Example Config

    ---
    name: TestApp
    Controller::Foo:
        foo: bar
    Model::Baz:
        qux: xyzzy

=head1 COOKBOOK

=head2 Configuring a Catalyst::Model::DBIC::Schema model from a YAML config

    Model::MyModel:
      schema_class: MyApp::MySchema
      connect_info:
        - dbi:SQLite:myapp.db
        - ''
        - ''
        - AutoCommit: 1 

=head2 Converting your existing config to Config::General format

As of L<Catalyst::Devel> 1.07, a newly created application will use
L<Config::General> for configuration. If you wish to convert your existing
config, run the following one-liner (replacing MyApp with your app's name):

    perl -Ilib -MMyApp -MConfig::General -e 'Config::General->new->save_file("myapp.conf", MyApp->config);'

=head2 Using UTF-8 strings in a Config::General file

If you have UTF-8 strings in your L<Config::General>-based config file, you
should add the following config information to MyApp.pm:

    __PACKAGE__->config( 'Plugin::ConfigLoader' => {
        driver => {
            'General' => { -UTF8 => 1 },
        }
    } );

=head2 Using a local configuration file

When ConfigLoader reads configurations, it starts by reading the configuration
file for C<myapp> with one of the supported extensions as listed
L<above|/Config Formats>.

For example, A L<Config::General> config file is C<myapp.conf>.

If a configuration file called C<myapp_local> exists with one of the supported
file extensions, it will also be read, and values from that file will
override values from the main config file.

A L<Config::General> local configuration file would be called
C<myapp_local.conf>.

The C<local> suffix can be changed.  See
L<Catalyst::Plugin::ConfigLoader/get_config_local_suffix> for the details of
how.

This is useful because it allows different people or environments to have
different configuration files.  A project with three developers,
I<Tom>, I<Dick>, and I<Harry> as well as a production environment can have
a C<myapp_tom.conf>, a C<myapp_dick.conf>, a C<myapp_harry.conf>, and a
C<myapp_production.conf>.

Each developer, and the web server, would set the environment variable
to load their proper configuration file.  All of the configurations can
be stored properly in source control.

If there is no C<myapp_local.ext> (where .ext is a supported extension), and
the individual configuration files contain something required to start the
application, such as the Model's data source definition, the applicaton won't
start unless the environment variable is set properly.

=cut