NAME

CGI::Portal - Extensible Framework for Multiuser Applications

SYNOPSIS

use CGI::Portal;

CGI::Portal::activate({'database_type'       => "mysql",

                       'database_name'       => "some_name",
                       'database_host'       => "localhost",
                       'database_user'       => "some_user",
                       'database_passw'      => "some_password",

                       'user_table'          => "users",
                       'user_index_field'    => "id",
                       'user_user_field'     => "user",
                       'user_passw_field'    => "passw",
                       'user_email_field'    => "email",
                       'add_user_fields'     => "first_name,middle_initial,last_name,city,state,country",

                       'session_table'       => "sessions",
                       'session_index_field' => "id",
                       'session_sid_field'   => "sid",
                       'session_user_field'  => "user",
                       'session_start_field' => "session_start",
                       'add_session_fields'  => "",

                       # Modules in the CGI::Portal::Scripts namespace, the first is the default action
                       'actions'             => ["logon", "logoff", "register", "profile", "changepw", "emailpw"],

                       'session_length'      => 7200,
                       'admin_email'         => "some_user\@some_host.com",

                       'header_html'         => "header.html",
                       'footer_html'         => "footer.html",
                       'logon_success_html'  => "logon.html"});

DESCRIPTION

CGI::Portal is intended as a framework for the design of extensible,
plug-configure-and-play multiuser web applications based on preferred object
oriented coding standards. It includes authentication and session management.

Applications are build by first configuring a simple startup script as above
and then by creating modules that reside in the CGI::Portal::Scripts namespace
and extend CGI::Portal::Sessions. These modules must provide a subroutine "launch"
that the application calls once it receives an "action" parameter equal to the
modules names.

For example, portal.cgi?action=foo calls CGI::Portal::Scripts::foo::launch().

In your modules, do not "print" or "exit". Instead append to $self->{'out'} and
return from launch().

Functions

activate CGI::Portal::activate($conf) collects input parameters, creates a database object, and passes those along with the configuration from $conf on to your module for creating an object instance. It then runs your modules "launch" method and concludes by doing the printing for you. This function is called once from your startup script.

Sessions->new CGI::Portal::Sessions->new($ref) is automatically called and receives the correct parameter if your modules extend CGI::Portal::Sessions.

Sessions->authenticate_user CGI::Portal::Sessions->authenticate_user() is an object method for use in your modules and sets the objects "user" property and starts a session if user logon succeeds. If user logon fails it writes the HTML for a logon form to $self->{'out'}.

RDB->exec CGI::Portal::RDB->exec($sql) is an object method for the database object accessible thru $self->{'rdb'}. It takes a SQL statement as argument and returns a DBI statement handle. Alternatively you can retrieve the database handle from $self->{'rdb'}{'dbh'}.

RDB->escape CGI::Portal::RDB->escape(@values) is also accessible thru $self->{'rdb'} and takes an array of SQL values. It uses DBI's quote() on those values and returns them as a string seperated by commas.

Properties

conf $self->{'conf'} is a hash reference to all values as set in the startup script.

in $self->{'in'} is a hash reference to all input parameters, stripped off HTML tags.

user $self->{'user'} is set by $self->authenticate_user() if logon succeeds.

out $self->{'out'} supposed to collect all output. Append to it insted of "print"ing.

cookies $self->{'cookies'} collects cookie headers you might want to set. Also used for Sessions, so you might want to append to it.

INSTALLATION

perl Makefile.PL
make
make test
make install

AUTHOR

Alexander David <cpanalpo@yahoo.com>