NAME

Catalyst::Plugin::ConfigLoader::Manual - Guide to using the ConfigLoader plugin

BASIC USAGE

    package MyApp;
    
    use Catalyst qw( ConfigLoader ... );

ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES

• MYAPP_CONFIG - specific config file to load for "MyApp"
• CATALYST_CONFIG_LOCAL_SUFFIX - global suffix for extra config files
• MYAPP_CONFIG_LOCAL_SUFFIX - suffix specifically for "MyApp"

CONFIG FORMATS

Config::General

Extensions

• cnf
• conf

Example Config

    name = TestApp
    <Component Controller::Foo>
        foo bar
    </Component>
    <Model Baz>
        qux xyzzy
    </Model>

INI

Extensions

• ini

Example Config

    name=TestApp
    
    [Controller::Foo]
    foo=bar
    
    [Model::Baz]
    qux=xyzzy

JSON

Extensions

• jsn
• json

Example Config

    {
        "name": "TestApp",
        "Controller::Foo": {
            "foo": "bar"
        },
        "Model::Baz": {
            "qux": "xyzzy"
        }
    }

Perl

Extensions

• pl
• perl

Example Config

    {
        name => 'TestApp',
        'Controller::Foo' => {
            foo => 'bar'
        },
        'Model::Baz' => {
            qux => 'xyzzy'
        }
    }

XML

Extensions

• xml

Example Config

 <config>
        <name>MyApp::CMS</name>
        <paths>
          <upload_dir>/var/www/docs/myapp-cms/uploads</upload_dir>
        </paths>
        <model name="DB">
          <connect_info>dbi:mysql:cmsdb</connect_info>
          <connect_info>user</connect_info>
          <connect_info>password</connect_info>
        </model>
        <component name="View::TT">
          <INCLUDE_PATH>__path_to(root,templates)__</INCLUDE_PATH>
          <ENCODING>UTF-8</ENCODING>
          <TRIM>1</TRIM>
          <PRE_CHOMP>2</PRE_CHOMP>
          <POST_CHOMP>2</POST_CHOMP>
        </component>

 </config>

Note that the name attribute for the model tag should be the relative namespace of the Catalyst model, not the absolute one. That is for MyApp::Model::Something the name attribute should be Something.

YAML

Extensions

• yml
• yaml

Example Config

    ---
    name: TestApp
    Controller::Foo:
        foo: bar
    Model::Baz:
        qux: xyzzy

COOKBOOK

Configuring a Catalyst::Model::DBIC::Schema model from a YAML config

    Model::MyModel:
      schema_class: MyApp::MySchema
      connect_info:
        - dbi:SQLite:myapp.db
        - ''
        - ''
        - AutoCommit: 1

Converting your existing config to Config::General format

As of the Catalyst::Devel manpage 1.07, a newly created application will use the Config::General manpage for configuration. If you wish to convert your existing config, run the following one-liner (replacing MyApp with your app's name):

    perl -Ilib -MMyApp -MConfig::General -e 'Config::General->new->save_file("myapp.conf", MyApp->config);'

Using UTF-8 strings in a Config::General file

If you have UTF-8 strings in your the Config::General manpage-based config file, you should add the following config information to MyApp.pm:

    __PACKAGE__->config( 'Plugin::ConfigLoader' => {
        driver => {
            'General' => { -UTF8 => 1 },
        }
    } );

Using a local configuration file

When ConfigLoader reads configurations, it starts by reading the configuration file for myapp with one of the supported extensions as listed above.

For example, A the Config::General manpage config file is myapp.conf.

If a configuration file called myapp_local exists with one of the supported file extensions, it will also be read, and values from that file will override values from the main config file.

A the Config::General manpage local configuration file would be called myapp_local.conf.

The local suffix can be changed. See get_config_local_suffix in the Catalyst::Plugin::ConfigLoader manpage for the details of how.

This is useful because it allows different people or environments to have different configuration files. A project with three developers, Tom, Dick, and Harry as well as a production environment can have a myapp_tom.conf, a myapp_dick.conf, a myapp_harry.conf, and a myapp_production.conf.

Each developer, and the web server, would set the environment variable to load their proper configuration file. All of the configurations can be stored properly in source control.

If there is no myapp_local.ext (where .ext is a supported extension), and the individual configuration files contain something required to start the application, such as the Model's data source definition, the applicaton won't start unless the environment variable is set properly.