RPM - Perl interface to the API for the RPM Package Man
ager
DESCRIPTION
The Perl-RPM package is an extension for natively linking
the functionality of the RPM Package Manager with the
extension facility of Perl. The aim is to offer all the
functionality made available via the C API in the form of
Perl object classes.
At present, the package-manipulation functionality is not
yet implemented. The RPM::Database and RPM::Header pack
ages do provide access to the information contained within
the database of installed packages, and individual package
headers, respectively. The RPM::Error package is avail
able, which provides support routines for signaling and
catching errors. Additionally, there is the RPM::Constants
package which provides a number of values from the rpm
library, referred to by the same name used at the C level.
UTILITY FUNCTIONS
The following utility functions are exported by default
from RPM:
rpm_osname
Returns the text name of the O/S, as derived from the
rpm configuration files. This is the O/S token that
rpm will use to refer to the running system.
rpm_archname
As above, but returns the architecture string instead.
Again, this may not directly match the running system,
but rather is the value that rpm is using. rpm will
use the lowest-matching architecture whenever possi
ble, for maximum cross-platform compatibility.
The following utility function may be explicitly requested
via use or import:
Allows RPM-style comparison of version/release pairs with
out having the full RPM::Header objects in memory. This
enables programs to compare versions without having to
worry about how RPM handles the mixture of alphanumeric
cases that are supported internally. The return value is
-1, 0 or 1, as with any comparison operator. This is pur
posefully named differently from the cmpver method in
RPM::Header so as to avoid confusion.
DIAGNOSTICS
When an error occurs in either the C-level rpm library or
internally within these libraries, it is made available
via a special dual-nature variable $RPM::err. When evalu
ated in a numeric context, it returns the integer code
returns the text message associated with the error. This
is intended to closely mimic the behavior of the special
Perl variable "`$!'".
CAVEATS
This is currently regarded as alpha-quality software. The
interface is subject to change in future releases.
SEE ALSO
the RPM::Constants manpage, the RPM::Database manpage, the
RPM::Error manpage, the RPM::Header manpage, the perl man
page, the rpm manpage
AUTHOR
Randy J. Ray <rjray@blackperl.com>
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