Proc::InvokeEditor(3) Perl extension for starting a text editor

SYNOPSIS


use Proc::InvokeEditor;
my $edited_text = Proc::InvokeEditor->edit($unedited_text);

DESCRIPTION

This module provides the ability to supply some text to an external text editor, have it edited by the user, and retrieve the results.

The File::Temp module is used to provide secure, safe temporary files, and File::Temp is set to its highest available level of security. This may cause problems on some systems where no secure temporary directory is available.

When the editor is started, no subshell is used. Your path will be scanned to find the binary to use for each editor if the string given does not exist as a file, and if a named editor contains whitespace, eg) if you try to use the editor "xemacs -nw", then the string will be split on whitespace and anything after the editor name will be passed as arguments to your editor. A shell is not used but this should cover most simple cases.

METHODS

new(editors => [ editor list ], cleanup => 1)

This method creates a new Proc::InvokeEditor object. It takes two optional arguments in key => value form:
"editors"
This should be a reference to an array of possible editor filenames to use. Each editor listed will be tried in turn until a working editor is found. If this argument is not supplied, an internal default list will be used.
"cleanup"
This specifies whether the temporary file created should be unlinked when the program exits. The default is to unlink the file.
"keep_file"
This specifies whether to reuse the same temporary file between invocations of "edit" on the same Proc::InvokeEditor object. The default is to use a new file each time.

editors()

This method gets or sets the list of editors to use. If no argument is supplied, it returns the current value from the object, if an argument is supplied, it changes the value and returns the new value. The argument should be a reference to a list of text editor filenames.

editors_env($arrayref)

Takes a reference to an array of %ENV keys to use as possible editors. Each $ENV{$key} value is only used if that key exits in %ENV and the value is defined. The new values are prepended to the currently stored list of editors to use.

editors_prepend($arrayref)

Takes a reference to an array of editors to use, and prepends them to the currently stored list.

cleanup()

This method gets or sets whether to cleanup temporary files after the program exits. If no argument is supplied, it returns the current value from the object. If an argument is supplied, it changes the value and returns the new object. The argument should be any true or false value.

keep_file()

This method gets or sets whether to reuse temporary files. If no argument is supplied, it returns the current value from the object. If an argument is supplied, it changes the value and returns the new object. The argument should be any true or false value.

first_usable()

This method can be called either as a class method, in which it returns the first usable editor of the default list of editors, or as an object method, in which case it returns the first usable editor of the currently configured list.

The return is a reference to an array, the first element of which is a filename, and the other elements of which are appropriate arguments to the the command.

If this method can not find any usable editor, it will die.

edit($unedited_text)

This can be called as either a class method or an object method.

When called as a class method, it starts an external text editor in the text supplied, and returns the result to you. The text to edit can be supplied either as a scalar, in which case it will be treated as a simple string, or as a reference to an array, in which case it will be treated as an array of lines.

Example use of this form is as follows: 

  my $result = Proc::InvokeEditor->edit($string);
  my @lines = Proc::InvokeEditor->edit(\@unedited_lines);
  my @lines = Proc::InvokeEditor->edit($string);

When called as an object method, it behaves identically, but uses configuration parameters from the object: 

  my $editor = new Proc::InvokeEditor(editors => [ '/usr/bin/emacs' ]);
  $editor->cleanup(0);
  my $result = $editor->edit($string);

A optional second argument is available $suff - example usage: 

        my $reuslt = Proc::InvokeEditor->edit($string, '.xml');

This specifies a filename suffix to be used when the editor is launched - this can be useful if the data in the file is of a particular type and you want to trigger an editor's syntax highlighting mode.

TODO

  • Write a test suite.

AUTHOR

Michael Stevens <[email protected]>. Also incorporating suggestions and feedback from Leon Brocard and Phil Pennock.

Patches supplied by Tim Booth.

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