NAME

Data::ShortNameProvider - Generate short names with style

SYNOPSIS

Create a name provider:

    my $np = Data::ShortNameProvider->new(
        style           => 'Basic',       # default
        timestamp_epoch => 1400023019,    # defaults to time()
        max_name_length => 32,            # croak if a longer name is generated

        # style-specific arguments
        prefix  => 'dbit',
        version => 1,
    );

Generate a shortname:

    $short_name = $np->generate_name('foo');   # returns "dbit1_140513__foo"

Parse a generated shortname:

    $hash = $np->parse_generated_name($short_name);

$hash contains something like:

    # depends on the style
    {
        prefix          => 'dbit',
        version         => 1,
        timestamp       => '140513',
        timestamp_epoch => 1400023019,
        name            => 'foo',
    }

or "undef" if $short_name could not be parsed as a short name generated
with that style.

Check if a string is parsable:

    my @names = grep { $np->is_generated_name($_) } @names;

DESCRIPTION

Create short names that encode a timestamp and a fixed label in a format
that's unlikely to match normal names.

A typical use-case would be the creation of database table names or file
names in situations where you need to minimize the risk of clashing with
existing items.

The generated names can be detected and parsed to extract the timestamp
and other components.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This module is based on an idea and proposal by Tim Bunce, on the
"dbi-dev" mailing-list.

The initial thread about Test::Database shortcomings:
<http://www.nntp.perl.org/group/perl.dbi.dev/2014/04/msg7792.html>

Tim's proposal for a short name provider:
<http://www.nntp.perl.org/group/perl.dbi.dev/2014/05/msg7815.html>

The first implementaion of the module was written during the first two
days of the Perl QA Hackathon 2015 in Berlin (with Tim Bunce providing
extensive feedback on IRC). Many thanks to TINITA for organizing this
event!

AUTHOR

Philippe Bruhat (BooK), <book@cpan.org>.

COPYRIGHT

Copyright 2014-2015 Philippe Bruhat (BooK), all rights reserved.

LICENSE

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