README

RPC::XML - An implementation of XML-RPC

Version: 0.43

WHAT IS IT

The RPC::XML package is an implementation of XML-RPC. The module provides
classes for sample client and server implementations, a server designed as an
Apache location-handler, and a suite of data-manipulation classes that are
used by them.


USING RPC::XML

There are not any pre-packaged executables in this distribution (except for a
utility tool). Client usage will usually be along the lines of:

    use RPC::XML::Client;
    ...
    my $client = new RPC::XML::Client
        'http://www.oreillynet.com/meerkat/xml-rpc/server.php';
    my $req = RPC::XML::request->new('meerkat.getChannelsBySubstring', 'perl');
    my $res = $client->send_request($req);
    # This returns an object of the RPC::XML::response class. This double-call
    # of value() first gets a RPC::XML::* data object from the response, then
    # the actual data from it:
    my $value = $res->value->value;

Running a simple server is not much more involved:

    use RPC::XML::Server;
    ...
    my $srv = new RPC::XML::Server (host => 'localhost',
                                    port => 9000);
    # You would then use $srv->add_method to add some remotely-callable code
    ...
    $srv->accept_loop; # Stays in an accept/connect loop


BUILDING/INSTALLING

This package is set up to configure and build like a typical Perl extension.
To build:

        perl Makefile.PL
        make && make test

If RPC::XML passes all tests, then:

        make install

You may need super-user access to install.


PROBLEMS/BUG REPORTS

Please send any reports of problems or bugs to rjray@blackperl.com


SEE ALSO

XML-RPC:              http://www.xmlrpc.com/spec
The Artistic License: http://language.perl.com/misc/Artistic.html


CHANGES

Changed methods/methodSignature.code, t/40_server.t and
t/60_net_server.t so that the provided system.methodSignature follows
the accepted API (returns a list of lists, rather than list of
strings). Pointed out by Bjoern Stierand.

Added a missing helper (RPC_I4) to RPC::XML.pm.

Fixed a bad bug with the newly-added compression support in
Apache::RPC::Server::handler. Because $self was defined earlier,
strict failed to point out that my object in that scope was called
$srv, rather than $self. And $self->compress didn't work, amazingly
enough. Found and reported by Scott Fagg.

Added a credentials() method to the RPC::XML::Client class to set
Basic Authentication credentials on the underlying LWP::UserAgent
object. Per suggestion and sample implementation from Stuart Clark.

Fixed a docs-nit in RPC::XML::Server, and did some major clean-up in
the docs for RPC::XML. In particular, added documentation for one
of the data class methods that had been overlooked ("type").