Re: [cgiapp] Re: Help with referencing cgiapp->dbh inside a plugin

[Paul Johnston <suppressed>]

Mark Stosberg wrote:
> On 2006-03-16, Paul Johnston <suppressed> wrote:
>   
> > Right - I have a plugin that is essentially very simple - we'll use the 
> > blog example from previous thread.
> >
> > I have created it with one Exported method (for example blog) which 
> > stores the object in the calling objects private hash ie:
> >
> > --- snip ---
> > package Plugins::Blog;
> > use vars qw($VERSION @EXPORT @ISA);
> > use strict;
> >
> > require Exporter;
> >
> > $VERSION = 0.01;
> > @ISA = qw(Exporter);
> > @EXPORT = qw(blog);
> >
> > sub blog {
> >     my $app = shift;
> >
> >     if(!$app->{__PACKAGE__ . '__oBlog'}) {
> >        # create the object for this module and store it in the app
> >         my $blog = {};
> >         bless $blog;
> >         $app->{__PACKAGE__ . '__oBlog'} = $blog;
> >     }
> >
> >     return $app->{__PACKAGE__ . '__oBlog'};
> > }
> > --- snip ---
> >
> > Now - the question I have is (assuming cgiapp is the calling object) how 
> > do I in a different method retrieve the database handle? ie
> >
> > --- snip ---
> > sub getBlog {
> >     # this is the object itself, not the cgiapp
> >     $self = shift;
> >     $dbh = $self->dbh; # ??? confused!
> > }
> > --- snip ---
> >
> > Help would be much appreciated.  I've tried this various ways (putting a 
> > reference to the app's dbh method in the object), but can't figure it 
> > out.  I'm going wrong somewhere and have looked at other code, but can't 
> > quite figure it out.
> >     
>
> Paul,
>
> You are creating a new blog object, but you aren't storing anything in
> it or giving it any methods.
>   

Missed the point of the post as the object is a hypothetical object - 
the post was to figure out how to store a reference to the cgiapp or dbh 
object more than anything else.

Figured out that you need to store a reference to the cgiapp or dbh 
object after the line "bless $blog;" and then the reference is stored. :)

> Two approaches come to mind:
>
>  1. Split your work into a standard OO module and a simple wrapper
>     plugin. See HTML::Prototype and the HTMLPrototype plugin for an
>     example of this technique. This is the approach I recommend. It
>     means your work will be useful outside of CGI::Application, possibly
>     gaining you other users and contributors.
>   

:) Thanks - Haven't seen HTML::Prototype - will take a look.

>  2. Give your blog object a dbh() method, or a cgiapp() method which 
>     provides access to the CGI::Application object. See the new()
>     and cgiapp() methods of the Authorization plugin for an example
>     implementation.

My post was actually asking how to do this simply.  I've taken a look at 
the Authorization plugin and figured it out from that and other plugins.

Thanks

Paul