Protocol::IRC::Message - encapsulates a single IRC message

NAME  SYNOPSIS  DESCRIPTION  CONSTRUCTOR  new_from_line  new  new_from_named_args  new_with_tags  METHODS  STRING  command  command_name  tags  prefix  prefix_split  arg  args  stream_to_line  arg_names  arg_names (class method)  named_args  gate_disposition  AUTHOR 

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NAME

"Protocol::IRC::Message" − encapsulates a single IRC message

SYNOPSIS

use Protocol::IRC::Message;
my $hello = Protocol::IRC::Message−>new(
"PRIVMSG",
undef,
"World",
"Hello, world!"
);
printf "The command is %s and the final argument is %s\n",
$hello−>command, $hello−>arg( −1 );

DESCRIPTION

An object in this class represents a single IRC message, either received from or to be sent to the server. These objects are immutable once constructed, but provide a variety of methods to access the contained information.

This class also understands IRCv3 message tags.

CONSTRUCTOR

new_from_line

$message = Protocol::IRC::Message−>new_from_line( $line )

Returns a new "Protocol::IRC::Message" object, constructed by parsing the given IRC line. Most typically used to create a new object to represent a message received from the server.

new

$message = Protocol::IRC::Message−>new( $command, $prefix, @args )

Returns a new "Protocol::IRC::Message" object, intialised from the given components. Most typically used to create a new object to send to the server using "stream_to_line". The message will contain no IRCv3 tags.

new_from_named_args

$message = Protocol::IRC::Message−>new_from_named_args( $command, %args )

Returns a new "Protocol::IRC::Message" object, initialised from the given named arguments. The argument names must match those required by the given command.

new_with_tags

$mesage = Protocol::IRC::Message−>new_with_tags( $command, \%tags, $prefix, @args )

Returns a new "Protocol::IRC::Message" object, as with "new" but also containing the given IRCv3 tags.

METHODS

STRING

$str = $message−>STRING
$str = "$message"

Returns a string representing the message, suitable for use in a debugging message or similar. Note: This is not the same as the IRC wire form, to send to the IRC server; for that see "stream_to_line".

command

$command = $message−>command

Returns the command name or numeric stored in the message object.

command_name

$name = $message−>command_name

For named commands, returns the command name directly. For server numeric replies, returns the name of the numeric.

tags

$tags = $message−>tags

Returns a HASH reference containing IRCv3 message tags. This is a reference to the hash stored directly by the object itself, so the caller should be careful not to modify it.

prefix

$prefix = $message−>prefix

Returns the line prefix stored in the object, or the empty string if one was not supplied.

prefix_split

( $nick, $ident, $host ) = $message−>prefix_split

Splits the prefix into its nick, ident and host components. If the prefix contains only a hostname (such as the server name), the first two components will be returned as "undef".

arg

$arg = $message−>arg( $index )

Returns the argument at the given index. Uses normal perl array indexing, so negative indices work as expected.

args

@args = $message−>args

Returns a list containing all the message arguments.

stream_to_line

$line = $message−>stream_to_line

Returns a string suitable for sending the message to the IRC server.

arg_names

$names = $message−>arg_names

Returns a HASH reference giving details on how to parse named arguments for the command given in this message.

This will be a hash whose keys give the names of the arguments, and the values of these keys indicate how that argument is derived from the simple positional arguments.

Normally this method is only called internally by the "named_args" method, but is documented here for the benefit of completeness, and in case extension modules wish to define parsing of new message types.

Each value should be one of the following:

•

String literal "pn"

The value is a string, the nickname given in the message prefix

•

NUMBER..NUMBER

The value is an ARRAY ref, containing a list of all the numbered arguments between the (inclusive) given limits. Either or both limits may be negative; they will count backwards from the end.

•

NUMBER

The value is the argument at that numeric index. May be negative to count backwards from the end.

•

NUMBER@

The value is the argument at that numeric index as for "NUMBER", except that the result will be split on spaces and stored in an ARRAY ref.

arg_names (class method)

$names = Protocol::IRC::Message−>arg_names( $command )

This method may also be invoked as a class method by passing in the command name or numeric. This allows inspection of what arguments would be required or returned before a message object itself is constructed.

named_args

$args = $message−>named_args

Parses arguments in the message according to the specification given by the "arg_names" method. Returns a hash of parsed arguments.

TODO: More complete documentation on the exact arg names/values per message type.

gate_disposition

$disp = $message−>gate_disposition

Returns the "gating disposition" of the message. This defines how a reply message from the server combines with other messages in response of a command sent by the client. The disposition is either "undef", or a string consisting of a type symbol and a gate name. If defined, the symbol defines what effect it has on the gate name.
−GATE

Adds more information to the response for that gate, but doesn't yet complete it.

+GATE

Completes the gate with a successful result.

*GATE

Completes the gate with a successful result, but only if the nick in the message prefix relates to the connection it is received on.

!GATE

Completes the gate with a failure result.

AUTHOR

Paul Evans <[email protected]>

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