NAME

Bric::Biz::Category - A module to group assets into categories.

VERSION

$LastChangedRevision$

DATE

$LastChangedDate: 2006-01-23 12:20:13 -0800 (Mon, 23 Jan 2006) $

SYNOPSIS

# Return a new category object.
my $cat = Bric::Biz::Category->new($init);

# Look up an existing category object.
my $cat = Bric::Biz::Category->lookup({'id' => $cat_id});

# Search for a list of categories.
my @cats = Bric::Biz::Category->list($crit);

# Attribute accessors.
my $id = $cat->get_id;
my $name = $cat->get_name;
$cat = $cat->set_name($name);
my $desc = $cat->get_description;
$cat = $cat->set_description($desc);
my $site_id = $cat->get_site_id;
$cat = $cat->set_site_id($site_id);

# Return a list of child categories of this category.
@cats   = $cat->get_children();
# Return the parent of this category.
$parent = $cat->get_parent();

# Attribute methods.
$val = $element->set_attr($name, $value);
$val = $element->get_attr($name);
$val = $element->set_meta($name, $field, $value);
$val = $element->get_meta($name, $field);

# Ad string methods
$txt = $element->get_ad_string;
$element->set_ad_string($value);
$txt = $element->get_ad_string2;
$element->set_ad_string2($value);

# Add/Delete child categories for this category.
$cat->add_child([$cat || $cat_id]);
$cat->del_child([$cat || $cat_id]);

# Manage keyword associations.
@keys = $cat->get_keywords;
$cat->add_keywords(@keywords);
$cat->del_keywords(@keywords);

# Save information for this category to the database.
$cat->save;

DESCRIPTION

Allows assets to be grouped into categories. In addition to assets a category can contain other categories, allowing a hierarchical layout of categories and assets.

INTERFACE

Constructors

$obj = new Bric::Biz::Category($init);

Create a new object of type Bric::Biz::Category

Keys for $init are:

Throws:

NONE

Side Effects:

NONE

Notes:

NONE

@objs = Bric::Biz::Category->lookup({ id => $cat_id });
@objs = Bric::Biz::Category->lookup({ uri => $uri });

Return an object given an ID or URI, both of which are unique across URIs.

Throws:

Side Effects:

NONE

Notes:

NONE

@objs = list Bric::Biz::Category($crit);

Return a list of category objects based on certain criteria

Criteria keys:

name
directory
uri
active
description
parent_id
grp_id
site_id

Throws:

"Method not implemented"

Side Effects:

NONE

Notes:

This is the default list constructor which should be overrided in all derived classes even if it just calls 'die'.

Destructors

$cat->DESTROY()

Deletes the object.

Throws: NONE.

Side Effects: NONE.

Notes: NONE.

Public Class Methods

my $meths = Bric::Biz::Category->my_meths
my (@meths || $meths_aref) = Bric::Biz::Category->my_meths(TRUE)
my (@meths || $meths_aref) = Bric::Biz::Category->my_meths(0, TRUE)

Returns an anonymous hash of introspection data for this object. If called with a true argument, it will return an ordered list or anonymous array of introspection data. If a second true argument is passed instead of a first, then a list or anonymous array of introspection data will be returned for properties that uniquely identify an object (excluding id, which is assumed).

Each hash key is the name of a property or attribute of the object. The value for a hash key is another anonymous hash containing the following keys:

name

The name of the property or attribute. Is the same as the hash key when an anonymous hash is returned.

disp

The display name of the property or attribute.

get_meth

A reference to the method that will retrieve the value of the property or attribute.

get_args

An anonymous array of arguments to pass to a call to get_meth in order to retrieve the value of the property or attribute.

set_meth

A reference to the method that will set the value of the property or attribute.

set_args

An anonymous array of arguments to pass to a call to set_meth in order to set the value of the property or attribute.

type

The type of value the property or attribute contains. There are only three types:

short
date
blob
len

If the value is a 'short' value, this hash key contains the length of the field.

search

The property is searchable via the list() and list_ids() methods.

req

The property or attribute is required.

props

An anonymous hash of properties used to display the property or attribute. Possible keys include:

type

The display field type. Possible values are

text
textarea
password
hidden
radio
checkbox
select
length

The Length, in letters, to display a text or password field.

maxlength

The maximum length of the property or value - usually defined by the SQL DDL.

rows

The number of rows to format in a textarea field.

cols

The number of columns to format in a textarea field.

vals

An anonymous hash of key/value pairs reprsenting the values and display names to use in a select list.

Throws: NONE.

Side Effects: NONE.

Notes: NONE.

my (@person_ids || $person_ids_aref) = Bric::Biz::Person->list_ids($params)

Returns a list or anonymous array of Bric::Biz::Category object IDs based on the search criteria passed via an anonymous hash. The supported lookup keys are the same as those for list().

Throws: NONE.

Side Effects: NONE.

Notes: NONE.

$cat = Bric::Biz::Category->site_root_category($site || $site_id)
$cat_id = Bric::Biz::Category->site_root_category_id($site || $site_id)
$cat = $cat->site_root_category()
$cat_id = $cat->site_root_category_id()

Return the root category and the root category ID for a particular site. If called as an instance method the site or site ID is not necessary; that information will be pulled from $cat->get_site_id.

Returns the category or category ID of the root category for this site.

Throws:

Side Effects: NONE.

Notes: NONE.

Public Instance Methods

@objs = $cat->ancestry();

Return all the parent category of this category

Throws:

NONE

Side Effects:

NONE

Notes:

NONE

my $path = $cat->ancestry_path();

An alias for get_uri().

Throws:

NONE

Side Effects:

NONE

Notes:

NONE

my $uri = $cat->get_uri();

Returns the list of ancestors for this category formatted into a URI.

Throws:

NONE

Side Effects:

NONE

Notes:

NONE

my $path = $cat->ancestry_dir();

Returns the list of ancestors for this category formatted into a localized directory structure.

Throws:

NONE

Side Effects:

NONE

Notes:

NONE

my $dir = $cat-set_directory($dir);>

Sets this category's directory.

Throws:

NONE

Side Effects:

Sets the _update_uri flag, which means that when the category's information is saved to the database, the URI field needs to be updated for itself and all its children.

Notes:

NONE

my $dir = $cat-set_parent_id($parent_id);>

Sets this category's parent ID, making it a child of that category.

Throws:

NONE

Side Effects:

Sets the _update_uri flag, which means that when the category's information is saved to the database, the URI field needs to be updated for itself and all its children.

Notes:

NONE

$val = $element->set_ad_string($value);
$self = $element->get_ad_string;
$val = $element->set_ad_string2($value);
$self = $element->get_ad_string2;

Get/Set ad strings on this category.

Throws:

NONE

Side Effects:

NONE

Notes:

NONE

$name = $cat->get_id;

Return the ID of this category.

Throws:

NONE

Side Effects:

NONE

Notes:

NONE

$name = $cat->get_name;

Return the name of this category.

Throws:

NONE

Side Effects:

NONE

Notes:

NONE

$self = $cat->set_name($name);

Sets the name of this category.

Throws:

NONE

Side Effects:

NONE

Notes:

NONE

$name = $cat->get_site_id;

Return the site ID for this category.

Throws:

NONE

Side Effects:

NONE

Notes:

NONE

$name = $cat->set_site_id($id);

Set the site ID for this category.

Throws:

NONE

Side Effects:

NONE

Notes:

NONE

$desc = $cat->get_description;

Returns the description of this category.

Throws:

NONE

Side Effects:

NONE

Notes:

NONE

$self = $cat->set_description($desc);

Sets the description of this category.

Throws:

NONE

Side Effects:

NONE

Notes:

NONE

$val = $element->set_attr($name, $value);
$val = $element->get_attr($name);

Get/Set attributes on this category.

Throws:

NONE

Side Effects:

NONE

Notes:

NONE

$val = $element->set_meta($name, $field, $value);
$val = $element->get_meta($name, $field);

Get/Set attribute metadata on this category.

Throws:

NONE

Side Effects:

NONE

Notes:

NONE

@keys = $cat->get_keywords;
@keys = $cat->get_keywords(@keyword_ids);

Returns a list of keyword objects associated with this category. If passed a list of keyword IDs, it will return only those keyword objects.

Throws: NONE

Side Effects: NONE

Notes: The old keywords() method has been deprecated. Please use get_keywords(), instead.

my @cats = $cat-get_children;>

Returns the children of this category.

Throws:

NONE

Side Effects:

NONE

Notes:

NONE

my $parent = $cat-get_parent;>

Returns the parent of this category or undef if it is a top level category.

Throws:

NONE

Side Effects:

NONE

Notes:

NONE

$success = $cat->add_child([$cat || $cat_id]);

Addes a category as a child of this category.

Throws:

NONE

Side Effects:

NONE

Notes:

NONE

$cat = $cat->add_keywords(@keywords);
$cat = $cat->add_keywords(\@keywords);
$cat = $cat->add_keywords(@keyword_ids);
$cat = $cat->add_keywords(\@keyword_ids);

Associates a each of the keyword in a list or array reference of keywords with the category object.

Throws: NONE.

Side Effects: NONE

Notes: The old add_keyword() method has been deprecated. Please use add_keywords(), instead.

$cat = $cat->del_keywords(@keywords);
$cat = $cat->del_keywords(\@keywords);
$cat = $cat->del_keywords(@keyword_ids);
$cat = $cat->del_keywords(\@keyword_ids);

Dissociates a list or array reference of keyword objects or IDs from the category object.

Throws: NONE.

Side Effects: NONE

Notes: The old del_keyword() method has been deprecated. Please use del_keywords(), instead.

$att = $att->is_root_category;

Return whether this is a root category or not

Throws: NONE

Side Effects: NONE

Notes: NONE

$att = $att->is_active;
$att = $att->activate;
$att = $att->deactivate;

Get/Set the active flag.

Throws:

NONE

Side Effects:

NONE

Notes:

NONE

$cat = $cat->save

Save this category

Throws:

NONE

Side Effects:

NONE

Notes:

NONE

Private Methods

NONE.

Private Class Methods

NONE

Private Instance Methods

Several that need documenting!

_do_list
_save_attr
_load_grp
_update_category
_insert_category
my $kw_coll = &$get_kw_coll($self)

Returns the collection of keywords for this category. The collection is a Bric::Util::Coll::Keyword object. See that class and its parent, Bric::Util::Coll, for interface details.

Throws:

Side Effects: NONE.

Notes: NONE.

NOTES

NONE.

AUTHOR

Garth Webb <garth@perijove.com>

Jeff "japhy" Pinyan <japhy@pobox.com>

David Wheeler <david@justatheory.com>

SEE ALSO

perl, Bric::Util::Grp::Category, Bric, Bric::Biz::Keyword, Bric::Biz::Asset