Pod::InputObjects(3pm)					 Perl Programmers Reference Guide				    Pod::InputObjects(3pm)

NAME

       Pod::InputObjects - objects representing POD input paragraphs, commands, etc.

SYNOPSIS

	   use Pod::InputObjects;

REQUIRES

       perl5.004, Carp

EXPORTS

       Nothing.

DESCRIPTION

       This module defines some basic input objects used by Pod::Parser when reading and parsing POD text from an input source. The following
       objects are defined:

       package Pod::Paragraph
	   An object corresponding to a paragraph of POD input text. It may be a plain paragraph, a verbatim paragraph, or a command paragraph
	   (see perlpod).

       package Pod::InteriorSequence
	   An object corresponding to an interior sequence command from the POD input text (see perlpod).

       package Pod::ParseTree
	   An object corresponding to a tree of parsed POD text. Each "node" in a parse-tree (or ptree) is either a text-string or a reference to
	   a Pod::InteriorSequence object. The nodes appear in the parse-tree in the order in which they were parsed from left-to-right.

       Each of these input objects are described in further detail in the sections which follow.

Pod::Paragraph
       An object representing a paragraph of POD input text.  It has the following methods/attributes:

       Pod::Paragraph->new()

	       my $pod_para1 = Pod::Paragraph->new(-text => $text);
	       my $pod_para2 = Pod::Paragraph->new(-name => $cmd,
						   -text => $text);
	       my $pod_para3 = new Pod::Paragraph(-text => $text);
	       my $pod_para4 = new Pod::Paragraph(-name => $cmd,
						  -text => $text);
	       my $pod_para5 = Pod::Paragraph->new(-name => $cmd,
						   -text => $text,
						   -file => $filename,
						   -line => $line_number);

       This is a class method that constructs a "Pod::Paragraph" object and returns a reference to the new paragraph object. It may be given one
       or two keyword arguments. The "-text" keyword indicates the corresponding text of the POD paragraph. The "-name" keyword indicates the name
       of the corresponding POD command, such as "head1" or "item" (it should not contain the "=" prefix); this is needed only if the POD para-
       graph corresponds to a command paragraph. The "-file" and "-line" keywords indicate the filename and line number corresponding to the
       beginning of the paragraph

       $pod_para->cmd_name()

	       my $para_cmd = $pod_para->cmd_name();

       If this paragraph is a command paragraph, then this method will return the name of the command (without any leading "=" prefix).

       $pod_para->text()

	       my $para_text = $pod_para->text();

       This method will return the corresponding text of the paragraph.

       $pod_para->raw_text()

	       my $raw_pod_para = $pod_para->raw_text();

       This method will return the raw text of the POD paragraph, exactly as it appeared in the input.

       $pod_para->cmd_prefix()

	       my $prefix = $pod_para->cmd_prefix();

       If this paragraph is a command paragraph, then this method will return the prefix used to denote the command (which should be the string
       "=" or "==").

       $pod_para->cmd_separator()

	       my $separator = $pod_para->cmd_separator();

       If this paragraph is a command paragraph, then this method will return the text used to separate the command name from the rest of the
       paragraph (if any).

       $pod_para->parse_tree()

	       my $ptree = $pod_parser->parse_text( $pod_para->text() );
	       $pod_para->parse_tree( $ptree );
	       $ptree = $pod_para->parse_tree();

       This method will get/set the corresponding parse-tree of the paragraph's text.

       $pod_para->file_line()

	       my ($filename, $line_number) = $pod_para->file_line();
	       my $position = $pod_para->file_line();

       Returns the current filename and line number for the paragraph object.  If called in a list context, it returns a list of two elements:
       first the filename, then the line number. If called in a scalar context, it returns a string containing the filename, followed by a colon
       (':'), followed by the line number.

Pod::InteriorSequence
       An object representing a POD interior sequence command.	It has the following methods/attributes:

       Pod::InteriorSequence->new()

	       my $pod_seq1 = Pod::InteriorSequence->new(-name => $cmd
							 -ldelim => $delimiter);
	       my $pod_seq2 = new Pod::InteriorSequence(-name => $cmd,
							-ldelim => $delimiter);
	       my $pod_seq3 = new Pod::InteriorSequence(-name => $cmd,
							-ldelim => $delimiter,
							-file => $filename,
							-line => $line_number);

	       my $pod_seq4 = new Pod::InteriorSequence(-name => $cmd, $ptree);
	       my $pod_seq5 = new Pod::InteriorSequence($cmd, $ptree);

       This is a class method that constructs a "Pod::InteriorSequence" object and returns a reference to the new interior sequence object. It
       should be given two keyword arguments.  The "-ldelim" keyword indicates the corresponding left-delimiter of the interior sequence (e.g.
       '<').  The "-name" keyword indicates the name of the corresponding interior sequence command, such as "I" or "B" or "C". The "-file" and
       "-line" keywords indicate the filename and line number corresponding to the beginning of the interior sequence. If the $ptree argument is
       given, it must be the last argument, and it must be either string, or else an array-ref suitable for passing to Pod::ParseTree::new (or it
       may be a reference to a Pod::ParseTree object).

       $pod_seq->cmd_name()

	       my $seq_cmd = $pod_seq->cmd_name();

       The name of the interior sequence command.

       $pod_seq->prepend()

	       $pod_seq->prepend($text);
	       $pod_seq1->prepend($pod_seq2);

       Prepends the given string or parse-tree or sequence object to the parse-tree of this interior sequence.

       $pod_seq->append()

	       $pod_seq->append($text);
	       $pod_seq1->append($pod_seq2);

       Appends the given string or parse-tree or sequence object to the parse-tree of this interior sequence.

       $pod_seq->nested()

	       $outer_seq = $pod_seq->nested || print "not nested";

       If this interior sequence is nested inside of another interior sequence, then the outer/parent sequence that contains it is returned. Oth-
       erwise "undef" is returned.

       $pod_seq->raw_text()

	       my $seq_raw_text = $pod_seq->raw_text();

       This method will return the raw text of the POD interior sequence, exactly as it appeared in the input.

       $pod_seq->left_delimiter()

	       my $ldelim = $pod_seq->left_delimiter();

       The leftmost delimiter beginning the argument text to the interior sequence (should be "<").

       $pod_seq->right_delimiter()

       The rightmost delimiter beginning the argument text to the interior sequence (should be ">").

       $pod_seq->parse_tree()

	       my $ptree = $pod_parser->parse_text($paragraph_text);
	       $pod_seq->parse_tree( $ptree );
	       $ptree = $pod_seq->parse_tree();

       This method will get/set the corresponding parse-tree of the interior sequence's text.

       $pod_seq->file_line()

	       my ($filename, $line_number) = $pod_seq->file_line();
	       my $position = $pod_seq->file_line();

       Returns the current filename and line number for the interior sequence object.  If called in a list context, it returns a list of two ele-
       ments: first the filename, then the line number. If called in a scalar context, it returns a string containing the filename, followed by a
       colon (':'), followed by the line number.

       Pod::InteriorSequence::DESTROY()

       This method performs any necessary cleanup for the interior-sequence.  If you override this method then it is imperative that you invoke
       the parent method from within your own method, otherwise interior-sequence storage will not be reclaimed upon destruction!

Pod::ParseTree
       This object corresponds to a tree of parsed POD text. As POD text is scanned from left to right, it is parsed into an ordered list of text-
       strings and Pod::InteriorSequence objects (in order of appearance). A Pod::ParseTree object corresponds to this list of strings and
       sequences. Each interior sequence in the parse-tree may itself contain a parse-tree (since interior sequences may be nested).

       Pod::ParseTree->new()

	       my $ptree1 = Pod::ParseTree->new;
	       my $ptree2 = new Pod::ParseTree;
	       my $ptree4 = Pod::ParseTree->new($array_ref);
	       my $ptree3 = new Pod::ParseTree($array_ref);

       This is a class method that constructs a "Pod::Parse_tree" object and returns a reference to the new parse-tree. If a single-argument is
       given, it must be a reference to an array, and is used to initialize the root (top) of the parse tree.

       $ptree->top()

	       my $top_node = $ptree->top();
	       $ptree->top( $top_node );
	       $ptree->top( @children );

       This method gets/sets the top node of the parse-tree. If no arguments are given, it returns the topmost node in the tree (the root), which
       is also a Pod::ParseTree. If it is given a single argument that is a reference, then the reference is assumed to a parse-tree and becomes
       the new top node.  Otherwise, if arguments are given, they are treated as the new list of children for the top node.

       $ptree->children()

       This method gets/sets the children of the top node in the parse-tree.  If no arguments are given, it returns the list (array) of children
       (each of which should be either a string or a Pod::InteriorSequence.  Otherwise, if arguments are given, they are treated as the new list
       of children for the top node.

       $ptree->prepend()

       This method prepends the given text or parse-tree to the current parse-tree.  If the first item on the parse-tree is text and the argument
       is also text, then the text is prepended to the first item (not added as a separate string).  Otherwise the argument is added as a new
       string or parse-tree before the current one.

       $ptree->append()

       This method appends the given text or parse-tree to the current parse-tree.  If the last item on the parse-tree is text and the argument is
       also text, then the text is appended to the last item (not added as a separate string).	Otherwise the argument is added as a new string or
       parse-tree after the current one.

       $ptree->raw_text()

	       my $ptree_raw_text = $ptree->raw_text();

       This method will return the raw text of the POD parse-tree exactly as it appeared in the input.

       Pod::ParseTree::DESTROY()

       This method performs any necessary cleanup for the parse-tree.  If you override this method then it is imperative that you invoke the par-
       ent method from within your own method, otherwise parse-tree storage will not be reclaimed upon destruction!

SEE ALSO

       See Pod::Parser, Pod::Select

AUTHOR

       Brad Appleton <bradapp@enteract.com>

perl v5.8.0							    2002-06-01						    Pod::InputObjects(3pm)