NAME

PHP::Include - Include PHP files in Perl

SYNOPSIS

    use PHP::Include;
    include_php_vars( 'file.php' );

DESCRIPTION

PHP::Include builds on the shoulders of Filter::Simple and Parse::RecDescent to provide a Perl utility for including very simple PHP Files from a Perl program.

When working with Perl and PHP it is often convenient to be able to share configuration data between programs written in both languages. One solution to this would be to use a language independent configuration file (did I hear someone say XML?). Another solution is to use Perl's flexibility to read PHP and rewrite it as Perl. PHP::Include does the latter with the help of Filter::Simple and Parse::RecDescent to rewrite very simple PHP as Perl.

Filter::Simple is used to enable macros (at the moment only one) which cause PHP to be interpolated into your Perl source code, which is then parsed using a Parse::RecDescent grammar to generate the appropriate Perl.

PHP::Include was designed to allow the more adventurous to add grammars that extend the complexity of PHP that may be included.

EXPORTS

include_php_vars( file )

This function is actually a macro that allows you to include PHP variable declarations in much the same way that you might require a file of Perl code. For example, given a file of PHP variable declarations:

    <?php

    define( "PORT", 80 );
    $robot = 'Book Agent';
    $hosts = Array( 
        'www.amazon.com'        => 'Amazon',
        'www.bn.com'            => 'Barnes and Noble',
        'www.bookpool.com'      => 'BookPool'
    );
    $times = Array( 10,12,14,16,18 );

    ?>

You can use this from your Perl program like so:

    use PHP::Include;
    include_php_vars( 'file.php' );

Behind the scenes the PHP is rewritten as this Perl:

    use constant PORT => 80;
    my $robot = 'Book Agent';
    my %hosts = (
        'www.amazon.com'        => 'Amazon',
        'www.bn.com'            => 'Barnes & Noble',
        'www.bookpool.com'      => 'BookPool'
    );
    my @times = ( 10,12,14,16,18 );

Notice that the enclosing <php? and ?> are removed, all variables are lexically scoped with 'my' and that the $ sigils are changed as appropriate to (@ and %). In addition PHP constant definitions are translated into Perl constants.

DIAGNOSTICS

If you would like to see diagnostic information on STDERR you will need to use this module slightly differently:

    use PHP::Include ( DEBUG => 1 );

This will cause the PHP that is read in, and the generated Perl to be printed on STDERR. It can be handy if you are trying to extend the grammar, or are trying to figure out what isn't getting parsed properly.

TODO

• assigning directly to array elements

• support other PHP code enclosures

• store compiled grammar if possible for speed gain

SEE ALSO

• PHP::Include::Vars

• Filter::Simple

• Parse::RecDescent

AUTHOR

Ed Summers, <ehs@pobox.com>

COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE

Copyright 2002 by Ed Summers

This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.

cpanm PHP::Include

perl -MCPAN -e shell
install PHP::Include