NAME
    CGI::Application::Plugin::DBH - Easy DBI access from CGI::Application

SYNOPSIS
     use CGI::Application::Plugin::DBH (qw/dbh_config dbh/);

     sub cgiapp_init  {
        my $self = shift;

        # use the same args as DBI->connect();
        $self->dbh_config($data_source, $username, $auth, \%attr);

        # or to use more than one dbh
        $self->dbh_config('my_handle', 
                        [ $data_source, $user, $auth, \%attr ]);
        $self->dbh_config('my_other_handle', 
                        [ $data_source, $user, $auth, \%attr ]);
     }

     sub my_run_mode {
        my $self = shift;

        my $date = $self->dbh->selectrow_array("SELECT CURRENT_DATE");
        # again with a named handle
        $date = $self->dbh('my_handle')->selectrow_array("SELECT CURRENT_DATE");

        # OR ...

        my $dbh = $self->dbh;
        # again with a named handle
        $dbh = $self->dbh('my_other_handle');
        my $date = $dbh->selectrow_array("SELECT CURRENT_DATE");
     } 

DESCRIPTION
    CGI::Application::Plugin::DBH adds easy access to a DBI database handle
    to your CGI::Application modules. Lazy loading is used to prevent a
    database connection from being made if the "dbh" method is not called
    during the request. In other words, the database connection is not
    created until it is actually needed.

METHODS
  dbh()
     my $date = $self->dbh->selectrow_array("SELECT CURRENT_DATE");
     # again with a named handle
     $date = $self->dbh('my_handle')->selectrow_array("SELECT CURRENT_DATE");

     # OR ...

     my $dbh = $self->dbh;
     # again with a named handle
     $dbh = $self->dbh('my_other_handle');
     my $date = $dbh->selectrow_array("SELECT CURRENT_DATE");

    This method will return the current DBI database handle. The database
    handle is created on the first call to this method, and any subsequent
    calls will return the same handle.

  dbh_config()
     sub cgiapp_init  {
        my $self = shift;

        # use the same args as DBI->connect();
        $self->dbh_config($data_source, $username, $auth, \%attr);

        # or to use more than one dbh
        $self->dbh_config('my_handle', 
                        [ $data_source, $user, $auth, \%attr ]);
        $self->dbh_config('my_other_handle', 
                        [ $data_source, $user, $auth, \%attr ]);

        # ...or use some existing handle you have
        $self->dbh_config($DBH);
        $self->dbh_config('my_handle', $DBH);   # this works too
     }

    Used to provide your DBI connection parameters. You can either pass in
    an existing DBI database handle, or provide the usual parameters used
    for DBI->connect().

    The recommended place to call "dbh_config" is in the "cgiapp_init" stage
    of CGI::Application. If this method is called after the database handle
    has already been accessed, then it will die with an error message.

  dbh_default_name()
     sub my_runmode {
        my $self = shift;

        my $old_handle_name = $self->dbh_default_name('my_handle');
        $self->some_legacy_code();  # some_legacy_code() will get "my_handle"
                                    # when it calls $self->dbh() without parameters

        $self->dbh_default_name($old_handle_name);    # Return to normal.
     }

    Can be used to alter the name of the handle that is returned by dbh()
    when called with no parameters. It can even be used to alter the name
    used for the unamed handle if called before dbh_config().

    Using this method is completely optional. If you don't have a use for it
    don't use it. Internally the handle name "__cgi_application_plugin_dbh"
    is used to keep track of the unnamed handle unless it is changed by
    dbh_default_name() before a call to dbh_config() without a name
    parameter.

SEE ALSO
    Ima::DBI is similar, but has much more complexity and features.

    CGI::Application, DBI, CGI::Application::Plugin::ValidateRM, perl(1)

AUTHOR
    Mark Stosberg <mark@summersault.com>

    Multi Handle Support added by: Tony Fraser <tony@sybaspace.com>

LICENSE
    Copyright (C) 2004 Mark Stosberg <mark@summersault.com>

    This library is free software. You can modify and or distribute it under
    the same terms as Perl itself.