NAME
    Data::Serializer:: - Modules that serialize data structures

SYNOPSIS
      use Data::Serializer;
  
      $obj = Data::Serializer->new();

      $obj = Data::Serializer->new(
                              serializer => 'Storable',
                              digester   => 'MD5',
                              cipher     => 'DES',
                              secret     => 'my secret',
                              compress   => 1,
                            );

      $serialized = $obj->serialize({a => [1,2,3],b => 5});
      $deserialized = $obj->deserialize($serialized);
      print "$deserialized->{b}\n";

DESCRIPTION
    Provides a unified interface to the various serializing modules
    currently available. Adds the functionality of both compression and
    encryption.

    By default Data::Serializer(3) adds minor metadata and encodes
    serialized data structures in it's own format. If you are looking for a
    simple unified pass through interface to the underlying serializers then
    look into Data::Serializer::Raw(3) that comes bundled with
    Data::Serializer(3).

EXAMPLES
    Please see Data::Serializer::Cookbook(3)

METHODS
    new - constructor
          $obj = Data::Serializer->new();

          $obj = Data::Serializer->new(
                                 serializer => 'Data::Dumper',
                                 digester   => 'SHA-256',
                                 cipher     => 'Blowfish',
                                 secret     => undef,
                                 portable   => '1',
                                 compress   => '0',
                           serializer_token => '1',
                                   options  => {},
                                );

        new is the constructor object for Data::Serializer(3) objects.

        *   The default *serializer* is "Data::Dumper"

        *   The default *digester* is "SHA-256"

        *   The default *cipher* is "Blowfish"

        *   The default *secret* is "undef"

        *   The default *portable* is 1

        *   The default *encoding* is "hex"

        *   The default *compress* is 0

        *   The default *compressor* is "Compress::Zlib"

        *   The default *serializer_token* is 1

        *   The default *options* is "{}" (pass nothing on to serializer)

    serialize - serialize reference
          $serialized = $obj->serialize({a => [1,2,3],b => 5});

        Serializes the reference specified.

        Will compress if compress is a true value.

        Will encrypt if secret is defined.

    deserialize - deserialize reference
          $deserialized = $obj->deserialize($serialized);

        Reverses the process of serialization and returns a copy of the
        original serialized reference.

    freeze - synonym for serialize
          $serialized = $obj->freeze({a => [1,2,3],b => 5});

    thaw - synonym for deserialize
          $deserialized = $obj->thaw($serialized);

    raw_serialize - serialize reference in raw form
          $serialized = $obj->raw_serialize({a => [1,2,3],b => 5});

        This is a straight pass through to the underlying serializer,
        nothing else is done. (no encoding, encryption, compression, etc)

        If you desire this functionality you should look at
        Data::Serializer::Raw(3) instead, it is faster and leaner.

    raw_deserialize - deserialize reference in raw form
          $deserialized = $obj->raw_deserialize($serialized);

        This is a straight pass through to the underlying serializer,
        nothing else is done. (no encoding, encryption, compression, etc)

        If you desire this functionality you should look at
        Data::Serializer::Raw(3) instead, it is faster and leaner.

    secret - specify secret for use with encryption
          $obj->secret('mysecret');

        Changes setting of secret for the Data::Serializer(3) object. Can
        also be set in the constructor. If specified than the object will
        utilize encryption.

    portable - encodes/decodes serialized data
        Uses encoding method to ascii armor serialized data

        Aids in the portability of serialized data.

    compress - compression of data
        Compresses serialized data. Default is not to use it. Will compress
        if set to a true value $obj->compress(1);

    raw - all calls to serializer and deserializer will automatically use
    raw mode
        Setting this to a true value will force serializer and deserializer
        to work in raw mode (see raw_serializer and raw_deserializer). The
        default is for this to be off.

        If you desire this functionality you should look at
        Data::Serializer::Raw(3) instead, it is faster and leaner.

    serializer - change the serializer
        Currently supports the following serializers:

        Bencode(3)
        Convert::Bencode(3)
        Convert::Bencode_XS(3)
        Config::General(3)
        Data::Denter(3)
        Data::Dumper(3)
        Data::Taxi(3)
        FreezeThaw(3)
        JSON(3)
        JSON::Syck(3)
        PHP::Serialization(3)
        Storable(3)
        XML::Dumper(3)
        XML::Simple(3)
        YAML(3)
        YAML::Syck(3)

        Default is to use Data::Dumper.

        Each serializer has its own caveat's about usage especially when
        dealing with cyclical data structures or CODE references. Please see
        the appropriate documentation in those modules for further
        information.

    cipher - change the cipher method
        Utilizes Crypt::CBC(3) and can support any cipher method that it
        supports.

    digester - change digesting method
        Uses Digest(3) so can support any digesting method that it supports.
        Digesting function is used internally by the encryption routine as
        part of data verification.

    compressor - changes compresing module
        Currently Compress::Zlib(3) and Compress::PPMd(3) are the only
        options

    encoding - change encoding method
        Encodes data structure in ascii friendly manner. Currently the only
        valid options are hex, or b64.

        The b64 option uses Base64 encoding provided by MIME::Base64(3), but
        strips out newlines.

    serializer_token - add usage hint to data
        Data::Serializer(3) prepends a token that identifies what was used
        to process its data. This is used internally to allow runtime
        determination of how to extract serialized data. Disabling this
        feature is not recommended. (Use Data::Serializer::Raw(3) instead).

    options - pass options through to underlying serializer
        Currently is only supported by Config::General(3), and
        XML::Dumper(3).

          my $obj = Data::Serializer->new(serializer => 'Config::General',
                                          options    => {
                                                     -LowerCaseNames       => 1,
                                                     -UseApacheInclude     => 1,
                                                     -MergeDuplicateBlocks => 1,
                                                     -AutoTrue             => 1,
                                                     -InterPolateVars      => 1
                                                        },
                                                      ) or die "$!\n";

          or

          my $obj = Data::Serializer->new(serializer => 'XML::Dumper',
                                          options    => { dtd => 1, }
                                          ) or die "$!\n";

    store - serialize data and write it to a file (or file handle)
          $obj->store({a => [1,2,3],b => 5},$file, [$mode, $perm]);

          or 

          $obj->store({a => [1,2,3],b => 5},$fh);

        Serializes the reference specified using the serialize method and
        writes it out to the specified file or filehandle.

        If a file path is specified you may specify an optional mode and
        permission as the next two arguments. See IO::File for examples.

        Trips an exception if it is unable to write to the specified file.

    retrieve - read data from file (or file handle) and return it after
    deserialization
          my $ref = $obj->retrieve($file);

          or 

          my $ref = $obj->retrieve($fh);

        Reads first line of supplied file or filehandle and returns it
        deserialized.

AUTHOR
    Neil Neely <neil@neely.cx>.

    Feature requests are certainly welcome.

    http://neil-neely.blogspot.com/

BUGS
    Please report all bugs here:

    http://rt.cpan.org/Public/Dist/Display.html?Name=Data-Serializer

TODO
    Extend the persistent framework. Perhaps Persistent::Base(3) framework
    would be useful to explore further. Volunteers for putting this together
    would be welcome.

COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE
    Copyright (c) 2001-2011 Neil Neely. All rights reserved.

    This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
    under the same terms as Perl itself, either Perl version 5.8.2 or, at
    your option, any later version of Perl 5 you may have available.

    See http://www.perl.com/language/misc/Artistic.html

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
    Gurusamy Sarathy and Raphael Manfredi for writing MLDBM(3), the module
    which inspired the creation of Data::Serializer(3).

    And thanks to all of you who have provided the feedback that has
    improved this module over the years.

    In particular I'd like to thank Florian Helmberger, for the numerous
    suggestions and bug fixes.

DEDICATION
    This module is dedicated to my beautiful wife Erica.

SEE ALSO
    Bencode(3)
    Convert::Bencode(3)
    Convert::Bencode_XS(3)
    Config::General(3)
    Data::Denter(3)
    Data::Dumper(3)
    Data::Taxi(3)
    FreezeThaw(3)
    JSON(3)
    JSON::Syck(3)
    PHP::Serialization(3)
    Storable(3)
    XML::Dumper(3)
    XML::Simple(3)
    YAML(3)
    YAML::Syck(3)
    Compress::Zlib(3)
    Compress::PPMd(3)
    Digest(3)
    Digest::SHA(3)
    Crypt::CBC(3)
    MIME::Base64(3)
    IO::File(3)
    Data::Serializer::Config::Wrest(3) - adds supports for Config::Wrest(3)