NAME

RPC::XML::Function - Object class for RPC routines that do not check signatures

SYNOPSIS

    require RPC::XML::Function;

    ...
    $method_1 = RPC::XML::Function->new(name => 'system.identity',
                                        code => sub { ... });
    $method_2 = RPC::XML::Function->new('/path/to/status.xpl');

DESCRIPTION

The RPC::XML::Function is a class that derives from RPC::XML::Procedure (see RPC::XML::Procedure), while bypassing all the signature-specific logic associated with server-side methods in the RPC::XML suite.

By doing this, the encapsulated code becomes responsible for how the server (and ultimately, the client) interprets returned values. For the classes that adhere to signatures, the signature includes the expected type of the returned value. If an object of this class anticipates that the data may be ambiguous (an intended string being interpreted as an integer, for example), the code it encapsulates should consider encoding the response with the data-classes documented in RPC::XML prior to return.

USAGE

Only those routines different from RPC::XML::Procedure are listed:

new(LIST)

The constructor for this class is identical to the super-class versions, except that it disregards any signature keys on the input list. The return value upon success is a newly-blessed object reference, otherwise an error message is returned.

signature

Returns undef only.

make_sig_table

This method does nothing, though in keeping with the interface from the parent class, it returns the object reference to permit chaining methods together.

clone

Acts as the parent clone method, save that in the absence of any signature data, the clone is in fact a perfect copy of the original.

is_valid

Uses the same validity test, minus the checking of signature data (tests only for valid name and code keys).

match_signature

Always returns the string, scalar.

DIAGNOSTICS

Unless otherwises specified, routines return the object reference itself upon a successful operation, and an error string (which is not a blessed reference) upon error.

SEE ALSO

RPC::XML, RPC::XML::Procedure, make_method

AUTHOR

Randy J. Ray <rjray@blackperl.com>