Config::Model::Manual::ModelCreationAdvanced - Creating a model with advanced features
version 2.078
The page Config::Model::Manual::ModelCreationIntroduction explains what is a configuration tree and a configuration model and how to create a simple configuration model.
But a configuration model can be more complex and define interactions between elements with the following features:
Model warp. For instance, Xorg driver options change depending on driver name (nvidia, radeon...)
nvidia
radeon
Simple computation from other elements (used for upgrades)
References. For instance, in Xorg::Device::Radeon, Monitor-DVI-0 name must refer to one of the monitors declared in Monitor section.
Xorg::Device::Radeon
Monitor-DVI-0
Monitor
Caveat: Xorg examples are based on Xorg 1.4 and may not be valid for Xorg 1.5 or 1.6
Config::Model can also use model plugins. Each model can be augmented by model snippets stored into directory <model_name>.d. All files found there will be merged to existing model.
<model_name>.d
For instance, this model in file .../Config/Model/models/Fstab/Fsline.pl:
.../Config/Model/models/Fstab/Fsline.pl
{ name => "Fstab::Fsline", element => [ fs_vfstype => { type => 'leaf', value_type => 'enum', choice => [ qw/ext2 ext3/ ], }, fs_mntopts => { type => 'warped_node', follow => { 'f1' => '- fs_vfstype' }, rules => [ '$f1 eq \'ext2\'', { 'config_class_name' => 'Fstab::Ext2FsOpt' }, '$f1 eq \'ext3\'', { 'config_class_name' => 'Fstab::Ext3FsOpt' }, ], } ] }
can be augmented with the content of .../Config/Model/models/Fstab/Fsline.d/addext4.pl:
.../Config/Model/models/Fstab/Fsline.d/addext4.pl
{ name => "Fstab::Fsline", element => [ fs_vfstype => { choice => [ qw/ext4/ ], }, fs_mntopts => { rules => [ q!$f1 eq 'ext4'!, { 'config_class_name' => 'Fstab::Ext4FsOpt' }, ], }, ] } ;
Then, the merged model will feature fs_vfstype with choice ext2 ext4 ext4. Likewise, fs_mntopts will feature rules for the 3 filesystems.
fs_vfstype
ext2 ext4 ext4
fs_mntopts
Under the hood, "augment_config_class" in Config::Model method is used to load model snippets.
From a user's point of view, model warp will look like the structure or properties of the configuration is changing (or adapting) dynamically depending on the values being entered. For instance, when changing a driver name from fglrx to radeon, some options will disappear from the GUI and some other options will pop-in.
fglrx
Model warping need not be that spectacular and can have more subtle effect like changing a default value.
Of course, there's no magic, model warp properties needs to be prepared and declared in the model.
Let's start simple with value warp: the properties of a single value is changed dynamically. Let's imagine a configuration file with 2 values: size which can be set to big or small and length whose maximum value is 10 when size is small and 50 when size is big. (this may be dumb, but it's for the sake of the example).
So the basic model without warp will be
element => [ size => { type => 'leaf', value_type => 'enum', choice => ['big','small'], }, length => { type => 'leaf', value_type => 'integer', max => '10', }, ]
Now we need to declare the relationship between size and length to be able to change dynamically the max property.
This setup is made of 2 specifications:
what is the element that will trigger the change (called warp master in the doc)
what is the effect of the warp master change
The first is done with a declaration of the path to follow to find the warp master (associated to a variable). The second is a set of value properties:
element => [ size => { type => 'leaf', value_type => 'enum', choice => ['big','small'], }, length => { type => 'leaf', value_type => 'integer', warp => { # change specification follow => { # declare what trigger the change size_type => '- size' # size_type: go 1 level above and fetch # size value }, rules => { # how to apply change '$size_type eq "small"' => { # set max to 10 when size is small max => 10 }, '$size_type eq "big" ' => { # set max to 50 when size is big max => 50 }, }, }, } ]
Here's a real use case scenario from OpenSsh.
ssh_config enables a user to set up a tunnel through ssh. The input of this tunnel can listen to localhost (default) or to other hosts. These other hosts are specified by the bind_adress part of the LocalForward parameter.
ssh_config
LocalForward
But this bind address is ignored if GatewayPorts is false (which is the default).
GatewayPorts
In order to present only meaningful parameters to the user, bind_address parameter must be hidden when GatewayPorts is false and shown when GatewayPorts is true.
Here's the recipe. First create a boolean element for GatewayPorts:
GatewayPorts => { type => 'leaf', value_type => 'boolean', upstream_default => 0, },
And LocalForward that will provide bind_address parameter:
LocalForward => { type => 'list', cargo => { type => 'node', config_class_name => 'Ssh::PortForward' }, summary => 'Local port forwarding', }
In Ssh::PortForward configuration class, declare bind_address with the warp instructions:
Ssh::PortForward
bind_address => { type => 'leaf', value_type => 'uniline', level => 'hidden', # by default, is hidden from user warp => { # instructions to show bind_address follow => { # specify what does trigger the change gp => '- - GatewayPorts' # gp: go to 2 levels above in tree ('- -') and # fetch GatewayPorts value }, rules => [ # specify how to apply the change triggered by gp '$gp' => { # apply change when $gp is true level => 'normal' # set level to normal (instead of 'hidden'). This change # will show this parameter in the UI } ] }, },
Sometimes, warping a value line by line is not practical. For instance, in /etc/fstab the mount options of a file system change drastically from one file system to another. In this case, it's better to swap a configuration class with another.
/etc/fstab
For instance, swap vfat mount options with ext3 mount options when a file system is changed from vfat to ext3.
vfat
ext3
Here's how this can be done. First declare the fstype parameter:
fstype
fs_vfstype => { type => 'leaf', mandatory => 1, value_type => 'enum', choice => [ 'auto', 'davfs', 'vfat', 'ext2', 'ext3', ] , # etc ... }
Then declare mntopts as a warped_node (not a simple node)) that will use fs_vfstype to swap one config class with another:
mntopts
node
fs_mntopts => { type => 'warped_node', # a shape-shifting node follow => { f1 => '- fs_vfstype' , # use fs_vfstype as a trigger }, rules => [ # condition => effect: config class to swap in "$f1 eq 'proc'" => { config_class_name => 'Fstab::CommonOptions' }, "$f1 eq 'auto'" => { config_class_name => 'Fstab::CommonOptions' }, "$f1 eq 'vfat'" => { config_class_name => 'Fstab::CommonOptions' }, "$f1 eq 'swap'" => { config_class_name => 'Fstab::SwapOptions' }, "$f1 eq 'ext3'" => { config_class_name => 'Fstab::Ext3FsOpt' }, # etc ... ] }
Config::Model also supports cascaded warps: A warped value is dependent on another value which is itself a warped value.
Feel free to send comments and suggestion about this page at
config-model-users at lists dot sourceforge dot net.
Dominique Dumont <ddumont at cpan.org>
Dominique Dumont
This software is Copyright (c) 2016 by Dominique Dumont.
This is free software, licensed under:
The GNU Lesser General Public License, Version 2.1, February 1999
To install Config::Model, copy and paste the appropriate command in to your terminal.
cpanm
cpanm Config::Model
CPAN shell
perl -MCPAN -e shell install Config::Model
For more information on module installation, please visit the detailed CPAN module installation guide.