NAME
    Config::Any - Load configuration from different file formats,
    transparently

SYNOPSIS
        use Config::Any;

        my $cfg = Config::Any->load_stems({stems => \@filepath_stems, ... });
        # or
        my $cfg = Config::Any->load_files({files => \@filepaths, ... });

        for (@$cfg) {
            my ($filename, $config) = %$_;
            $class->config($config);
            warn "loaded config from file: $filename";
        }

DESCRIPTION
    Config::Any provides a facility for Perl applications and libraries to
    load configuration data from multiple different file formats. It
    supports XML, YAML, JSON, Apache-style configuration, Windows INI files,
    and even Perl code.

    The rationale for this module is as follows: Perl programs are deployed
    on many different platforms and integrated with many different systems.
    Systems administrators and end users may prefer different configuration
    formats than the developers. The flexibility inherent in a multiple
    format configuration loader allows different users to make different
    choices, without generating extra work for the developers. As a
    developer you only need to learn a single interface to be able to use
    the power of different configuration formats.

INTERFACE
  load_files( \%args )
        Config::Any->load_files( { files => \@files } );
        Config::Any->load_files( { files => \@files, filter  => \&filter } );
        Config::Any->load_files( { files => \@files, use_ext => 1 } );
        Config::Any->load_files( { files => \@files, flatten_to_hash => 1 } );

    load_files() attempts to load configuration from the list of files
    passed in the "files" parameter, if the file exists.

    If the "filter" parameter is set, it is used as a callback to modify the
    configuration data before it is returned. It will be passed a single
    hash-reference parameter which it should modify in-place.

    If the "use_ext" parameter is defined, the loader will attempt to parse
    the file extension from each filename and will skip the file unless it
    matches a standard extension for the loading plugins. Only plugins whose
    standard extensions match the file extension will be used. For
    efficiency reasons, its use is encouraged, but be aware that you will
    lose flexibility -- for example, a file called "myapp.cfg" containing
    YAML data will not be offered to the YAML plugin, whereas "myapp.yml" or
    "myapp.yaml" would be.

    When the "flatten_to_hash" parameter is defined, the loader will return
    a hash keyed on the file names, as opposed to the usual list of
    single-key hashes.

    load_files() also supports a 'force_plugins' parameter, whose value
    should be an arrayref of plugin names like "Config::Any::INI". Its
    intended use is to allow the use of a non-standard file extension while
    forcing it to be offered to a particular parser. It is not compatible
    with 'use_ext'.

    You can supply a "driver_args" hashref to pass special options to a
    particular parser object. Example:

        Config::Any->load_files( { files => \@files, driver_args => {
            General => { -LowerCaseNames => 1 }
        } )

  load_stems( \%args )
        Config::Any->load_stems( { stems => \@stems } );
        Config::Any->load_stems( { stems => \@stems, filter  => \&filter } );
        Config::Any->load_stems( { stems => \@stems, use_ext => 1 } );
        Config::Any->load_stems( { stems => \@stems, flatten_to_hash => 1 } );

    load_stems() attempts to load configuration from a list of files which
    it generates by combining the filename stems list passed in the "stems"
    parameter with the potential filename extensions from each loader, which
    you can check with the extensions() classmethod described below. Once
    this list of possible filenames is built it is treated exactly as in
    load_files() above, as which it takes the same parameters. Please read
    the load_files() documentation before using this method.

  finder( )
    The finder() classmethod returns the Module::Pluggable::Object object
    which is used to load the plugins. See the documentation for that module
    for more information.

  plugins( )
    The plugins() classmethod returns the names of configuration loading
    plugins as found by Module::Pluggable::Object.

  extensions( )
    The extensions() classmethod returns the possible file extensions which
    can be loaded by load_stems() and load_files(). This may be useful if
    you set the "use_ext" parameter to those methods.

DIAGNOSTICS
    "No files specified!" or "No stems specified!"
        The load_files() and load_stems() methods will issue this warning if
        called with an empty list of files/stems to load.

    "_load requires a arrayref of file paths"
        This fatal error will be thrown by the internal "_load" method. It
        should not occur but is specified here for completeness. If your
        code dies with this error, please email a failing test case to the
        authors below.

CONFIGURATION AND ENVIRONMENT
    Config::Any requires no configuration files or environment variables.

DEPENDENCIES
    Module::Pluggable::Object

    And at least one of the following for each file type to be supported:

    *   For ".cnf", ".conf" files: Config::General

    *   For ".ini" files: Config::Tiny

    *   For ".json", ".jsn" files: Cpanel::JSON::XS, JSON::MaybeXS,
        JSON::DWIW, JSON::XS, JSON::Syck, JSON::PP, JSON

    *   For ".pl", ".perl" files: no additional requirements

    *   For ".xml" files: XML::Simple

    *   For ".yml", ".yaml" files: YAML::XS, YAML::Syck, YAML

    Additionally, other file types are supported by third-party plugins in
    the "Config::Any::" namespace, installed separately.

BUGS AND LIMITATIONS
    Please report any bugs or feature requests to
    "bug-config-any@rt.cpan.org", or through the web interface at
    <https://rt.cpan.org/Public/Dist/Display.html?Name=Config-Any>.

AUTHOR
    Joel Bernstein <rataxis@cpan.org>

CONTRIBUTORS
    This module was based on the original Catalyst::Plugin::ConfigLoader
    module by Brian Cassidy "<bricas@cpan.org>".

    With ideas and support from Matt S Trout "<mst@shadowcatsystems.co.uk>".

    Further enhancements suggested by Evan Kaufman "<evank@cpan.org>".

LICENCE AND COPYRIGHT
    Copyright (c) 2006, Portugal Telecom "http://www.sapo.pt/". All rights
    reserved. Portions copyright 2007, Joel Bernstein "<rataxis@cpan.org>".

    This module is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
    under the same terms as Perl itself. See perlartistic.

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY
    BECAUSE THIS SOFTWARE IS LICENSED FREE OF CHARGE, THERE IS NO WARRANTY
    FOR THE SOFTWARE, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. EXCEPT WHEN
    OTHERWISE STATED IN WRITING THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND/OR OTHER PARTIES
    PROVIDE THE SOFTWARE "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER
    EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED
    WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE
    ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE IS WITH
    YOU. SHOULD THE SOFTWARE PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL
    NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR, OR CORRECTION.

    IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW OR AGREED TO IN WRITING
    WILL ANY COPYRIGHT HOLDER, OR ANY OTHER PARTY WHO MAY MODIFY AND/OR
    REDISTRIBUTE THE SOFTWARE AS PERMITTED BY THE ABOVE LICENCE, BE LIABLE
    TO YOU FOR DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR
    CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE
    SOFTWARE (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF DATA OR DATA BEING
    RENDERED INACCURATE OR LOSSES SUSTAINED BY YOU OR THIRD PARTIES OR A
    FAILURE OF THE SOFTWARE TO OPERATE WITH ANY OTHER SOFTWARE), EVEN IF
    SUCH HOLDER OR OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
    DAMAGES.

SEE ALSO
    Catalyst::Plugin::ConfigLoader -- now a wrapper around this module.

