HTML::Template::Associate - Associate relevant packages with HTML::Template #Example usage with CGI and FormValidator as the target use CGI qw/:standard/; use Data::FormValidator; use HTML::Template; use HTML::Template::Associate; my $cgi = CGI->new; #for testing purposes we can add some input to our cgi object $cgi->param( q{fullname}, q{John Doe} ); $cgi->param( q{phone}, 6041112222 ); $cgi->param( q{email}, q{invalid@email} ); my $input_profile = { optional => [ qw( company fax country ) ], required => [ qw( fullname phone email address city state zipcode ) ], constraints => { email => "email", fax => "american_phone", phone => "american_phone", zipcode => '/^\s*\d{5}(?:[-]\d{4})?\s*$/', state => "state", }, defaults => { country => "Canada", }, msgs => { prefix=> 'error_', missing => 'Not Here!', invalid => 'Problematic!', invalid_seperator => ' <br /> ', format => 'ERROR: %s', any_errors => 'some_errors', } }; my $validator = Data::FormValidator->new; my $results = $validator->check ( scalar $cgi->Vars, $input_profile ); my $associate = HTML::Template::Associate->new( { target => 'FormValidator', results => $results, extra_arguments => [ $validator ] } ); #not needed but just illustrated my $template = HTML::Template->new( filename => 'test.tmpl', associate => [ $cgi, $associate ] ); print $template->output; #and in our test.tmpl file we could have Valid Fields:<br> <TMPL_LOOP NAME=VALID_FIELDS> Field Name: <TMPL_VAR NAME=FIELD_NAME><br> Field Value: <TMPL_VAR NAME=FIELD_VALUE><br> </TMPL_LOOP> Missing Fields:<br> <TMPL_LOOP NAME=MISSING_FIELDS> Field Name: <TMPL_VAR NAME=FIELD_NAME><br> Field Value: <TMPL_VAR NAME=FIELD_VALUE><br> </TMPL_LOOP> <TMPL_IF NAME=INVALID_phone> Phone: <TMPL_VAR NAME="phone"> you supplied is invalid. </TMPL_IF> <TMPL_IF NAME=MISSING_city> City name is missing, please fix this. </TMPL_IF> <!-- We can also access our normal field names since $cgi object was passed as associate as well --> I think <TMPL_VAR NAME=country> is very big country. <!-- Optional use of Data::FormValidator::Results msgs interface --> Message Fields: <TMPL_LOOP NAME=MSGS_FIELDS> Field Name: <TMPL_VAR NAME=FIELD_NAME><br> Field Value: <TMPL_VAR NAME=FIELD_VALUE><br> </TMPL_LOOP> <TMPL_IF NAME=MSGS_error_city> Our default error message set in the profiling code is: <TMPL_VAR NAME=MSGS_error_city> </TMPL_IF> HTML::Template::Associate bridges gap between HTML::Template and other modules that can be used in conjunction with it to do something useful together, like for example Data::FormValidator that can verify form inputs. The primary reason I wrote this is that I needed something to bridge those two and the thought of creating something more expandable came to mind. The idea is that every associate object can map required data structure onto the one which corresponds to the one being documented publicly in the HTML::Template. The factory will then instantiate the target class and user can then make it available to HTML::Template via associate argument during object construction. The data structures then become automatically visible to your templates. This module is abstract class it provides no mapping functionality whatsoever, but rather defines common interface to all associate objects underneath it and acts as a object production factory. You should however use this module whenever you wish to access a concrete associate class that provides functionality you desire. I hope that with time more associate objects spring into existence. #where $results = Data::FormValidator::Results; for example my $associate = HTML::Template::Associate->new( { target => 'FormValidator', results => $results ); Target is always last portion of your full class name, so if you had HTML::Template::Associate::XYZ the target would be XYZ Maybe. If you see any make sure you let me know. Alex Pavlovic alex@taskforce-1.com http://www.taskforce-1.com This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself. The full text of the license can be found in the LICENSE file included with this module. HTML::Template::Associate::FormValidator perl(1).

new
Usage : my $associate = HTML::Template::Associate->new ( target => 'FormValidator', results => $results ); Purpose : Constructs new associate object Returns : associate instance Argument : Hash of arguments ( target specifying object to be created, results specifying result set, optional extra_arguments specifying additional arguments to be passed inside target object ) Throws : Error in case target does not exist Comments : Please note that target is always last portion of your full class name, so if you had HTML::Template::Associate::XYZ the target would be XYZ

param
Usage : my $MyParam = $associate->param(q{MyParam}); Purpose : Retrieves param in a form suitable for access by HTML::Template Returns : Single param or arrays suitable for loops Argument : Parameter name and optional value if setting it Throws : Error in case subroutine was not implemented in concrete class Comments : This subroutine should be redefined in concrete class

init
Usage : $self->init ( $params ); Purpose : Provides basic initiliazation for the target class Returns : true or false depending on whether initilization was succesful Argument : hash of parameters passed to factory during object construction Throws : Error in case subroutine was not implemented in concrete class Comments : This subroutine should be redefined in concrete class

log
Purpose : Used internally to warn errors

error
Purpose : Used internally to die on errors