######################################################################
    X10::Home 0.04
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NAME
    X10::Home - Configure X10 for your Home

SYNOPSIS
        # System-wide /etc/x10.conf Configuration File

        module: ControlX10::CM11
        device: /dev/ttyS0
        receivers:  
          - name: bedroom_lights
            code: K15
            desc: Bedroom Lights
          - name: dsl_router
            code: ...

        # In your application:

        use X10::Home;
        my $x10 = X10::Home->new();
          # Address services by name
        $x10->send("bedroom_lights", "on");

DESCRIPTION
    "X10::Home" lets you set parameters of all your home X10 devices in a
    single configuration file. After that's done, applications can access
    them by name and without worrying about details like "house codes",
    "unit codes", "serial ports", X10 commands and other low-level details.

    "X10::Home" also maintains a status database to remember the assumed
    status of cheap X10 devices without a feedback mechanism.

  Usage
    After a one-time setup of the "x10.conf" file, to switch the bedroom
    lights on, simply use

        use X10::Home;
        my $x10->X10::Home->new();
        $x10->send("bedroom_lights", "on");

    and

        $x10->send("bedroom_lights", "off");

    to switch them off again.

    "X10::Home" uses the "ControlX10::CM11" or "ControlX10::CM17" CPAN
    modules under the hood to send actual X10 commands via the computer's
    serial port.

  Configuration File
    Upon initialization, "X10::Home" will search a configuration file in the
    following locations (in the order listed):

    *   If "X10::Home::new()" gets called with the "conf_file" parameter
        set, the configuration will be read from "conf_file".

    *   "~/.x10.conf" (in the user's local home directory) if present

    *   "/etc/x10.conf" if present

    The configuration file is written in YAML format and looks like this:

        # /etc/x10.conf Configuration File

        module:   ControlX10::CM11
        device:   /dev/ttyS0
        baudrate: 4800

        receivers:  
          - name: bedroom_lights
            code: K15
            desc: Bedroom Lights
          - name: dsl_router
            code: K16
            desc: DSL Router

    The "module" parameter specifies which X10 low-level module to use,
    "ControlX10::CM11" or "ControlX10::CM17", it defaults to
    "ControlX10::CM11".

    The "device" parameter specifies the device entry of the serial port to
    use, it defaults to "/dev/ttyS0". This can be "/dev/ttyS4" or
    "/dev/ttyS5" if a serial PCI card gets plugged into the computer.

    The "baudrate" is the baud rate to be used to communicate over the
    serial port. It defaults to 4800.

    The "receivers" parameter specifies an array of receivers. The reason
    why this is an array an not a hash is that certain applications like to
    display all available receivers in a predefined order. Receivers are
    hashed internally by "X10::Home" by their "name" entries for quick
    lookups, though.

  METHODS
    "new()"
        Constructor. Optional parameters are

        "conf_file"
            to specify the path to a special x10.conf file instead of the
            natural search order of system x10.conf files.

        "db_file"
            to indicate that "X10::Home" should be maintaining a persistent
            data store with assumed device status. Defaults to
            "/tmp/x10.status". To check/manipulate the maintained status,
            see "db_status" below.

    "send($name, $action)"
        Sends a message to the specified X10 receiver. Uses locking (see
        "lock/unlock" below) internally to make sure that no other X10
        commands are sent over the wire by this sender at the same time,
        which would confuse the receivers.

    "lock()"
        Aquire an exclusive lock.

    "unlock()"
        Release the previously acquired exclusive lock.

    "db_status($field, [$value])"
        For persistent storage of assumed device status, "X10::Home"
        maintains a file-based data store (if the constructor is called with
        the "db_file" parameter set to a persistent datastore location). If
        a device gets switched on or off, "X10::Home" will make a note of
        that in the data store. To query the (assumed) status of a device,
        use

            my $x10 = X10::Home( db_file => "/tmp/x10.status" );

            if( $x10->db_status("bedroom_lights") eq "on" ) {
                print "Bedroom lights are on!\n";
            }

Sample Applications
        The "eg" directory contains a command line application "x10" which
        allows you to run X10 commands from the command line, e.g.

            $ x10 office_lights on

        or

            $ x10 office_lights status
            on

        The "eg" directory also contains an AJAXed X10 web application,
        check out "x10.cgi" and read the installation instructions at the
        top of the file.

LEGALESE
    Copyright 2007 by Mike Schilli, all rights reserved. This program is
    free software, you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same
    terms as Perl itself.

AUTHOR
    2007, Mike Schilli <m@perlmeister.com>

