NAME
    File::Stat::ModeString - conversion file stat(2) mode to/from
    string representation.

SYNOPSIS
     use File::Stat::ModeString;

     $string  = mode_to_string  ( $st_mode );
     $st_mode = string_to_mode  ( $string  );
     $type    = mode_to_typechar( $st_mode );

     $record = <IN>; chomp $record;
     $record =~ m/^some_prefix\s+$MODE_STRING_RE\s+some_suffix$/o
            or die "invalid record format";

     die "Invalid mode in $string"
            if is_mode_string_valid( $string );

DESCRIPTION
    This module provides a few functions for conversion between
    binary and literal representations of file mode bits, including
    file type.

    All of them use only symbolic constants for mode bits from
    File::Stat::Bits.

CONSTANTS
  $MODE_STRING_RE

    Regular expression to match mode string (without ^$).

FUNCTIONS
  
    is_mode_string_valid( $string )

    Returns true if argument matches mode string pattern.

  
    $type = mode_to_typechar( $mode )

    Returns file type character of binary mode, '?' on unknown file
    type.

  
    $string = mode_to_string( $mode )

    Converts binary mode value to string representation. '?' in file
    type field on unknown file type.

  
    $mode = string_to_mode( $string )

    Converts string representation of file mode to binary one.

SEE ALSO
    the stat(2) manpage;

    the File::Stat::Bits(3) manpage;

    the Stat::lsMode(3) manpage;

AUTHOR
    Dmitry Fedorov <fedorov@inp.nsk.su>

COPYRIGHT
    Copyright (c) 2003, Dmitry Fedorov <fedorov@inp.nsk.su>

LICENSE
    This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
    modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as
    published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of
    the License, or (at your option) any later version.

DISCLAIMER
    The author disclaims any responsibility for any mangling of your
    system etc, that this script may cause.

