NAME

Data::Dumper::Sorted - Dumper with repeatable signature

SYNOPSIS - similar to Data::Dumper

Data::Dumper::Sorted generates a unique signature for hashs by sorting the keys into alphabetic order.

Data::Dumper actually does much more than this, however, it does not stringify hash's in a consistent manner. i.e. no SORT

The routines below, while not covering recursion loops, non ascii characters, etc.... does produce text that can be eval'd and is consistent with each rendering, version of Perl, and platform.

The module routines may be called as functions or methods.

  use Data::Dumper::Sorted qw(
        hexDumper
        hexDumperC
        hexDumperA
        Dumper
        DumperC
        DumperA
  };

OR as methods

  require Data::Dumper::Sorted;

  my $dd = new Data::Dumper::Sorted;

A blessed reference is not really needed.

  my $dd = 'Data::Dumper::Sorted';

  $countText = $dd->hexDumperC($ref);
  $evalText  = $dd->hexDumper($ref);
  ($text,$count) = $dd->hexDumperA($ref);

  $countText = $dd->DumperC($ref);
  $evalText  = $dd->Dumper($ref);
  ($text,$count) = $dd->DumperA($ref);

• $dd = new Data::Dumper::Sorted;

  This method returns a blessed reference that can be used to access the functions in this modules as methods.

• $countText = hexDumperC($ref);

    same as:
          scalar DumperA($ref);

  It prefixes the dumped text with a COUNT of the nodes in the text instead of a symbol name. This is useful in developing perl test routines.

  i.e 5 { text....

  instead of: $Var = { text....

• $evalText = hexDumper($ref);

  Same form as Data::Dumper. This method returns a string which can be eval'd to reconstitute the reference.

• ($text,$count) = hexDumperA($ref);

  Returns the text of fully numeric data items converted to hex.

    input:        reference
    return:       array context
           text_for_reference_contents,
           count_of_data_items
  
                  scalar context
           count  text_for_reference_contents

• $countText = DumperC($ref);

    same as:
          scalar DumperA($ref);

  It prefixes the dumped text with a COUNT of the nodes in the text instead of a symbol name.. This is useful in developing perl test routines.

  i.e 5 { text....

  instead of: $Var = { text....

• $evalText = Dumper($ref);

  Same form as Data::Dumper. This method returns a string which can be eval'd to reconstitute the reference.

• ($text,$count) = DumperA($ref);

    input:        reference
    return:       array context
           text_for_reference_contents,
           count_of_data_items
  
                  scalar context
           count  text_for_reference_contents

AUTHOR

Michael Robinton, <miker@cpan.org>

COPYRIGHT

Copyright 2013-2014, Michael Robinton

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

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.