MIME::Field::ParamVal(3)				User Contributed Perl Documentation				  MIME::Field::ParamVal(3)

NAME

       MIME::Field::ParamVal - subclass of Mail::Field, for structured MIME fields

SYNOPSIS

	   # Create an object for a content-type field:
	   $field = new Mail::Field 'Content-type';

	   # Set some attributes:
	   $field->param('_'	    => 'text/html');
	   $field->param('charset'  => 'us-ascii');
	   $field->param('boundary' => '---ABC---');

	   # Same:
	   $field->set('_'	  => 'text/html',
		       'charset'  => 'us-ascii',
		       'boundary' => '---ABC---');

	   # Get an attribute, or undefined if not present:
	   print "no id!"  if defined($field->param('id'));

	   # Same, but use empty string for missing values:
	   print "no id!"  if ($field->paramstr('id') eq '');

	   # Output as string:
	   print $field->stringify, "
";

DESCRIPTION

       This is an abstract superclass of most MIME fields.  It handles fields with a general syntax like this:

	   Content-Type: Message/Partial;
	       number=2; total=3;
	       id="oc=jpbe0M2Yt4s@thumper.bellcore.com"

       Comments are supported between items, like this:

	   Content-Type: Message/Partial; (a comment)
	       number=2  (another comment) ; (yet another comment) total=3;
	       id="oc=jpbe0M2Yt4s@thumper.bellcore.com"

PUBLIC INTERFACE

       set [\%PARAMHASH | KEY=>VAL,...,KEY=>VAL]
	   Instance method.  Set this field.  The paramhash should contain parameter names in all lowercase, with the special "_" parameter name
	   signifying the "default" (unnamed) parameter for the field:

	      # Set up to be...
	      #
	      #     Content-type: Message/Partial; number=2; total=3; id="ocj=pbe0M2"
	      #
	      $conttype->set('_'       => 'Message/Partial',
			     'number'  => 2,
			     'total'   => 3,
			     'id'      => "ocj=pbe0M2");

	   Note that a single argument is taken to be a reference to a paramhash, while multiple args are taken to be the elements of the
	   paramhash themselves.

	   Supplying undef for a hashref, or an empty set of values, effectively clears the object.

	   The self object is returned.

       parse_params STRING
	   Class/instance utility method.  Extract parameter info from a structured field, and return it as a hash reference.  For example, here
	   is a field with parameters:

	       Content-Type: Message/Partial;
		   number=2; total=3;
		   id="oc=jpbe0M2Yt4s@thumper.bellcore.com"

	   Here is how you'd extract them:

	       $params = $class->parse_params('content-type');
	       if ($$params{'_'} eq 'message/partial') {
		   $number = $$params{'number'};
		   $total  = $$params{'total'};
		   $id	   = $$params{'id'};
	       }

	   Like field names, parameter names are coerced to lowercase.	The special '_' parameter means the default parameter for the field.

	   NOTE: This has been provided as a public method to support backwards compatibility, but you probably shouldn't use it.

       parse STRING
	   Class/instance method.  Parse the string into the instance.	Any previous information is wiped.  The self object is returned.

	   May also be used as a constructor.

       param PARAMNAME,[VALUE]
	   Instance method.  Return the given parameter, or undef if it isn't there.  With argument, set the parameter to that VALUE.  The
	   PARAMNAME is case-insensitive.  A "_" refers to the "default" parameter.

       paramstr PARAMNAME,[VALUE]
	   Instance method.  Like param(): return the given parameter, or empty if it isn't there.  With argument, set the parameter to that
	   VALUE.  The PARAMNAME is case-insensitive.  A "_" refers to the "default" parameter.

       stringify
	   Instance method.  Convert the field to a string, and return it.

       tag Instance method, abstract.  Return the tag for this field.

SEE ALSO

       Mail::Field

perl v5.12.1							    2008-06-30						  MIME::Field::ParamVal(3)