NAME
    CGI::AppBuilder::Config - Configuration initializer

SYNOPSIS
      use CGI::AppBuilder::Config;

      my $cg = CGI::AppBuilder::Config->new(
         'ifn', 'my_init.cfg', 'opt', 'vhS:a:');
      my $ar = $cg->get_inputs; 

DESCRIPTION
    This class provides methods for reading and parsing configuration files.

  new (ifn => 'file.cfg', opt => 'hvS:')
    This is a inherited method from CGI::AppBuilder. See the same method in
    CGI::AppBuilder for more details.

  get_inputs($ifn, $opt)
    Input variables:

      $ifn  - input/initial file name. 
      $opt  - options for Getopt::Std, for instance 'vhS:a:'

    Variables used or routines called:

      None

    How to use:

      my $ar = $self->get_inputs('/tmp/my_init.cfg','vhS:');

    Return: ($q, $ar) where $q is the CGI object and $ar is a hash array
    reference containing parameters from web form, or command line and/or
    configuration file if specified.

    This method performs the following tasks:

      1) create a CGI object
      2) get input from CGI web form or command line 
      3) read initial file if provided
      4) merge the two inputs into one hash array

    This method uses the following rules:

      1) All parameters in the initial file can not be changed through
         command line or web form;
      2) The "-S" option in command line can be used to set non-single
         char parameters in the format of 
         -S k1=value1:k2=value2
      3) Single char parameters are included only if they are listed
         in $opt input variable.

    Some parameters are dfined automatically:

      script_name - $ENV{SCRIPT_NAME} 
      url_dn      - $ENV{HTTP_HOST}
      home_url    - http://$ENV{HTTP_HOST}
      HomeLoc     - http://$ENV{HTTP_HOST}/
      version     - $VERSION
      action      - https://$ENV{HTTP_HOST}$ENV{SCRIPT_NAME}
      encoding    - application/x-www-form-urlencoded
      method      - POST

  read_init_file($fn, $dvr)
    Input variables:

      $fn - full path to a file name
      $dvr - delay variable replacement
             0 - No (default)
             1 - yes

    Variables used or routines called:

      eval_variables - replace variables with their values

      CGI::AppBuilder::Message
        echo_msg - echo messages

    How to use:

      my $ar = $self->read_init_file('crop.ini');

    Return: a hash array ref

    This method reads a configuraton file containing parameters in the
    format of key=values. Multiple lines is allowed for values as long as
    the lines after the "key=" line are indented as least with two blanks.
    For instance:

      width = 80
      desc  = This is a long
              description about the value
      # you can define perl hash araay as well
      msg = {
        101 => "msg 101",
        102 => "msg 102"
        }
      # you can use variable as well
      js_var = /my/js/var_file.js
      js_src = /my/first/js/prg.js,$js_var

    This will create a hash array of

      $ar->{width} = 80
      $ar->{desc}  = "This is a long description about the value"
      $ar->{msg}   = {101=>"msg 101",102=>"msg 102"}
      $ar->{js_var}= "/my/js/var_file.js";
      $ar->{js_src}= "/my/first/js/prg.js,/my/js/var_file.js";

  eval_variables($cfg, $hr)
    Input variables:

      $cfg - a hash array ref containing variable names
      $hr  - a hash array ref contianing  varliable values

    Variables used or routines called:

      eval_named_var - get named variables' values
      eval_var       - get variables' values

    How to use:

      my $mr = $self->eval_variables($cfg, $hr);

    Return: a hash or hash ref.

    This method evaluates the configuration hash and replace variable names
    with their values up to 5 levels of nested variables. For instance, you
    have the following configuration hash:

      my $cfg = { a=>10, b=>"$a+2", c=>"2*($b)", d=>"$c-1", 
                  result=>"3*($d)" }
      my $mk = $self->eval_variables($cfg);   

    This will result $cfg to

      a = 10
      b = 10+2
      c = 2*(10+2)
      d = 2*(10+2)-1
      result = 3*(2*(10+2)-1)

  eval_var($cfg, $hr)
    Input variables:

      $cfg - a hash ref containing variable names
      $hr  - a hash ref which will be used to search for values 

    Variables used or routines called:

      None

    How to use:

      my $cfg = {first_name=>'John', last_name=>'Smith',
         full_name => "\$first_name \$last_name",
         addr1=>"111 Main Street",
         city=>"Philadelphia", zip_code=>"19102",
         address => "\$addr1, \$city, PA \$zip_code",
         contact=>"\$full_name <address>\$address</address> \$logo",
         };
      my $hr = { logo => 'http://mydomain.com/images/logo.gif', };
      my $p1 = $self->eval_var($cfg, $hr);
      my $p2 = $self->eval_var($cfg, $hr);
      # The first pass will get full_name, address replaced with values
      # but leave contact with variable names in it.
      # The second pass will get first_name, last_name, and address in
      # contact replaced with their values. 
 
    Return: a hash or hash ref

    This method evaluates the variable names contained in a configuration
    hash and replace the variable names with their values.

  eval_named_var($hr, $vn, $sr)
    Input variables:

      $hr - a hash array ref containing variable names
      $vn - variable name default to 'ENV' 
      $sr - source hash ref. If omitted, {%$vn} will be used.

    Variables used or routines called:

      None

    How to use:

      my %ENV = (HTTP_HOST=>'testdomain.com:8000',USER=>'htu');
      my $hr  = {first_name=>'John', last_name=>'Smith'};
      my $cfg = { hh=>'$ENV{HTTP_HOST}',usr=>'$ENV{USER}',
                 fn=>'$hr{first_name}', ln=>'$hr{last_name}',
               };
      my $p1 = $self->eval_named_var($cfg, 'ENV');
      # the first pass will get 
      #   $cfg->{hh}  = 'testdomain.com:8000'
      #   $cfg->{usr} = 'htu'
      my $p2 = $self->eval_named_var($cfg, 'hr', $hr);
      # the second pass will get 
      #   $cfg->{fn}  = 'John'
      #   $cfg->{ln}  = 'Smith'

    Return: a hash or hash ref

    This method evaluates the variable names contained in a configuration
    hash and replace the variable names with their values.

  read_cfg_file($fn,$ot, $fs)
    Input variables:

      $fn - full path to a file name
      $ot - output array type: A(array) or H(hash)
      $fs - field separator, default to vertical bar (|)

    Variables used or routines called:

      CGI::AppBuilder::Message
        echo_msg  - display message

    How to use:

      my $arf = $self->read_cfg_file('crop.cfg', 'H');

    Return: an array or hash array ref containing (${$arf}[$i]{$itm},
    ${$arf}[$i][$j];

    This method reads a configuraton file containing delimited fields. It
    looks a line starting with '#CN:' for column names. If it finds the
    line, it uses to define the first row in the array or use the column
    names as keys in the hash array.

    The default output type is A(array). It will read the field names into
    the first row ([0][0]~[0][n]). If output array type is hash, then it
    uses the columns name as keys such as ${$arf}[$i]{key}. If it does not
    find '#CN:' line, it will use 'FD001' ~ 'FD###' as keys.

      #Form: fm1
      #CN: Step|VarName|DispName|Action|Description                         
      0.0|t1|Title||CROP Worksheet                          

HISTORY
    * Version 0.10
        This version extracts these methods from CGI::Getopt class:
        get_inputs, read_init_file, and read_cfg_file.

          0.11 Inherited the new constructor from CGI::AppBuilder.
          0.12 Added eval_var, eval_named_var, eval_variables and
               modified read_init_file method. 

    * Version 0.20

SEE ALSO (some of docs that I check often)
        Oracle::Loader, Oracle::Trigger, CGI::AppBuilder, File::Xcopy,
        CGI::AppBuilder::Message

AUTHOR
        Copyright (c) 2005 Hanming Tu. All rights reserved.

        This package is free software and is provided "as is" without
        express or implied warranty. It may be used, redistributed and/or
        modified under the terms of the Perl Artistic License (see
        http://www.perl.com/perl/misc/Artistic.html)