Catalyst::Model::DBIDM(3)

NAME
Catalyst::Model::DBIDM - DBIx::DataModel model class

VERSION
Version 0.04

SYNOPSIS

1.  Create the DBIx::DataModel schema in MyApp/Schema.pm:

        package MyApp::Schema;
        use DBIx::DataModel;

        DBIx::DataModel->Schema('MyApp::DM');

        MyApp::DM->Table(qw/ MyApp::DM::Employee   employee   emp_id /);
        MyApp::DM->Table(qw/ MyApp::DM::Department department dpt_id /);
        ...

    Notice that the DBIx::DataModel schema is MyApp::DM, not MyApp::Model::DM. It is usable as a standalone schema, without the need for Catalyst. In fact, it does not even need to be in the MyApp namespace.

2.  To expose it to Catalyst as a model, create a DM model in MyApp/Model/DM.pm:

        package MyApp::Model::DM;
        use base qw/ Catalyst::Model::DBIDM /;

        use MyApp::Schema; # to create the classes MyApp::DM

        __PACKAGE__->config(
            schema_class => 'MyApp::DM',
            connect_info => [
                'dbi:...',
                'username',
                'password',
                { RaiseError => 1 },
            ],
        );

Now you have a working model, bound to your DBIx::DataModel schema, that can be accessed the Catalyst way, using $c->model().

    my $employee = $c->model('DM::Employee')->fetch(1);

"$c->model('DM')" merely returns the string "MyApp::DM", i.e., the name of the DBIx::DataModel schema, but it also ensures that it is connected to the database, as configured in the "connect_info" configuration entry.

"$c->model('DM::Employee')" (or any other table declared in MyApp::Schema) does the same (returns the string "MyApp::DM::Employee", and connects to the database if need be).

DESCRIPTION

METHODS

new Constructor. It creates an "ACCEPT_CONTEXT" method for the "MyApp::Model::DM" class and for pseudo-classes for each of the schema's tables ("MyApp::Model::DM::Employee", "MyApp::Model::DM::Department", etc.)

    This allows the Catalyst application to invoke "$c->model('DM::Employee')" prior to calling "$c->model('DM')" and still have the schema initialised properly.

    The "ACCEPT_CONTEXT" methods invoke the connect_if_not() method before returning the Schema class name or the Table class name:

        $c->model('DM');            # "MyApp::DM"
        $c->model('DM::Employee');  # "MyApp::DM::Employee"

    The pseudo-classes name are elaborated as follows:

    1.  Take the class name as returned by the Schema's tables() method ("MyApp::DM::Employee").

    2.  Remove the Schema class name ("MyApp::DM::"), if possible, which leaves "Employee".

    3.  Prepend with the Model class name ("MyApp::Model::DM::"), resulting in "MyApp::Model::DM::Employee", which can be called with "$c->model('DM::Employee')".

    The Table class names need not be in the same namespace as the Schema class: if the substitution at step 2 fails, the Model class name is prepended to the full Table class name.

        # In MyApp::Schema
        DBIx::DataModel->Schema('MyApp::DM');
        MyApp::DM->Table(qw/ Employee employee emp_id /);

        # In MyApp::Model::DM
        use base qw/ Catalyst::Model::DBIDM /;
        __PACKAGE__->config(
            schema_class => 'MyApp::DM',
            ...
        );

        # In some controller code
        $c->model('DM::Employee')->fetch(1);   # Employee->fetch(1);

connect_if_not
    Initialises the Schema (i.e., connects to the database), if not already done. This method returns immediately if the Schema class already has a dbh() (See DBIx::DataModel). If not, it creates a database handler by invoking "DBI->connect" with the "connect_info" parameters from the configuration.

    This method receives $c and the Schema class name as arguments.

SEE ALSO
Catalyst::Manual, Catalyst::Helper::Model::DBIDM

AUTHOR
Cedric Bouvier, "<cbouvi at cpan.org>"

BUGS
Please report any bugs or feature requests to "bug-catalyst-model-dbidm at rt.cpan.org", or through the web interface at <http://rt.cpan.org/NoAuth/ReportBug.html?Queue=Catalyst-Model-DBIDM>. I will be notified, and then you'll automatically be notified of progress on your bug as I make changes.

SUPPORT
You can find documentation for this module with the perldoc command.

    perldoc Catalyst::Model::DBIDM

You can also look for information at:

•   AnnoCPAN: Annotated CPAN documentation

    <http://annocpan.org/dist/Catalyst-Model-DBIDM>

•   CPAN Ratings

    <http://cpanratings.perl.org/d/Catalyst-Model-DBIDM>

•   RT: CPAN's request tracker

    <http://rt.cpan.org/NoAuth/Bugs.html?Dist=Catalyst-Model-DBIDM>

•   Search CPAN

    <http://search.cpan.org/dist/Catalyst-Model-DBIDM>

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Praises go to Laurent Dami for writing DBIx::DataModel, and to Brandon L Black, for writing Catalyst::Model::DBIC::Schema, a great source of inspiration.

COPYRIGHT & LICENSE
Copyright 2007 Cedric Bouvier, all rights reserved.

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