User::Identity::Collection(3)

NAME
User::Identity::Collection - base class for collecting roles of a user

INHERITANCE
 User::Identity::Collection
   is a User::Identity::Item

 User::Identity::Collection is extended by
   User::Identity::Collection::Emails
   User::Identity::Collection::Locations
   User::Identity::Collection::Systems
   User::Identity::Collection::Users

SYNOPSIS
  use User::Identity;
  use User::Identity::Collection;
  my $me    = User::Identity->new(...);
  my $set   = User::Identity::Collection::Emails->new(...);
  $me->addCollection($set);

  # Simpler
  use User::Identity;
  my $me    = User::Identity->new(...);
  my $set   = $me->addCollection(type => 'email', ...)
  my $set   = $me->addCollection('email', ...)

  my @roles = $me->collection('email');  # list of collected items

  my $coll  = $me->collection('email');  # a User::Identity::Collection
  my @roles = $coll->roles;
  my @roles = @$coll;                    # same, by overloading

  my $role  = $me->collection('email')->find($coderef);
  my $role  = $me->collection('location')->find('work');
  my $role  = $me->find(location => 'work');

DESCRIPTION
The "User::Identity::Collection" object maintains a set user related objects. It helps selecting these objects, which is partially common to all collections (for instance, each object has a name so you can search on names), and sometimes specific to the extension of this collection.

Currently imlemented extensions are

•   people is a collection of users

•   whereabouts are locations

•   a mailinglist is a

    collection of email addresses

•   a network contains

    groups of systems

Extends "DESCRIPTION" in User::Identity::Item.

OVERLOADED

overload: "" stringification
    Returns the name of the collection and a sorted list of defined items.

    » example:

      print "$collection\n";  #   location: home, work

overload: @{} array dereference
    When the reference to a collection object is used as array-reference, it will be shown as list of roles.

    » example:

      my $locations = $ui->collection('location');
      foreach my $loc (@$location) ...
      print $location->[0];

METHODS
Extends "METHODS" in User::Identity::Item.

  Constructors
Extends "Constructors" in User::Identity::Item.

$class->new( [$name], %options )

     -Option     --Defined in          --Default
      description  User::Identity::Item  undef
      item_type                          <required>
      name         User::Identity::Item  <required>
      parent       User::Identity::Item  undef
      roles                              undef

    description => STRING
    item_type => CLASS
        The CLASS which is used to store the information for each of the maintained objects within this collection.

    name => STRING
    parent => OBJECT
    roles => $role|\@roles
        Immediately add some @roles to this collection. In case of an ARRAY, each element is passed separately to addRole(). So, you may end-up with an ARRAY of ARRAYS each grouping a set of options to create a role.

  Attributes
Extends "Attributes" in User::Identity::Item.

$obj->description()
    Inherited, see "Attributes" in User::Identity::Item

$obj->itemType()
    Returns the type of the items collected.

$obj->name( [$newname] )
    Inherited, see "Attributes" in User::Identity::Item

$obj->roles()
    Returns all defined roles within this collection. Be warned: the rules are returned in random (hash) order.

  Collections
Extends "Collections" in User::Identity::Item.

$obj->add($collection, $role)
    Inherited, see "Collections" in User::Identity::Item

$obj->addCollection( $object | <[$type], %options> )
    Inherited, see "Collections" in User::Identity::Item

$obj->collection($name)
    Inherited, see "Collections" in User::Identity::Item

$obj->parent( [$parent] )
    Inherited, see "Collections" in User::Identity::Item

$obj->removeCollection($object|$name)
    Inherited, see "Collections" in User::Identity::Item

$any->type()
    Inherited, see "Collections" in User::Identity::Item

$obj->user()
    Inherited, see "Collections" in User::Identity::Item

  Maintaining roles

$obj->addRole($role|([$name], %options))
    Adds a new role to this collection. $role is an object of the right type (depends on the extension of this module which type that is) or a list of %options which are used to create such role. The options can also be passed as reference to an ARRAY. The added role is returned.

    » example:

      my $uicl = User::Identity::Collection::Locations->new;

      my $uil  = User::Identity::Location->new(home => ...);
      $uicl->addRole($uil);
      $uicl->addRole(  home => address => 'street 32' );
      $uicl->addRole( [home => address => 'street 32'] );

    Easier

      $ui      = User::Identity;
      $ui->add(location => 'home', address => 'street 32' );
      $ui->add(location => [ 'home', address => 'street 32' ] );

$obj->removeRole($role|$name)
    The deleted role is returned (if it existed).

$obj->renameRole( <$role|$oldname>, $newname )
    Give the role a different name, and move it in the collection.

$obj->sorted()
    Returns the roles sorted by name, alphabetically and case-sensitive.

  Searching
Extends "Searching" in User::Identity::Item.

$obj->find($name|CODE|undef)
    Find the object with the specified $name in this collection. With "undef", a randomly selected role is returned.

    When a code reference is specified, all collected roles are scanned one after the other (in unknown order). For each role,

      CODE->($object, $collection)

    is called. When the "CODE" returns "true", the role is selected. In list context, all selected roles are returned. In scalar context, the first match is returned and the scan is aborted immediately. Improves base, see "Searching" in User::Identity::Item

    » example:

      my $emails = $ui->collection('emails');
      $emails->find('work');

      sub find_work($$) {
         my ($mail, $emails) = @_;
         $mail->location->name eq 'work';
      }
      my @at_work = $emails->find(\&find_work);
      my @at_work = $ui->find(location => \&find_work);
      my $any     = $ui->find(location => undef );

DIAGNOSTICS

Error: cannot create a $type to add this to my collection.
    Some options are specified to create a $type object, which is native to this collection. However, for some reason this failed. Cast by addRole()

Error: cannot load collection module for $type ($class): $@
    Either the specified $type does not exist, or that module named $class returns compilation errors. If the type as specified in the warning is not the name of a package, you specified a nickname which was not defined. Maybe you forgot the 'require' the package which defines the nickname. Cast by addCollection()

Error: cannot rename $from into $to: already exists.
    Cast by renameRole()

Error: cannot rename $from into $to: doesn't exist.
    Cast by renameRole()

Error: nvalid collection $name.
    The collection with $name does not exist and can not be created. Cast by add()

Error: this $object is not a collection.
    Cast by addCollection()

Error: wrong type of role for $collection: requires a $expect but got a $type.
    Each $collection groups sets of roles of one specific type ($expect). You cannot add objects of a different $type. Cast by addRole()

SEE ALSO
This module is part of User-Identity version 4.00, built on December 12, 2025. Website: http://perl.overmeer.net/CPAN/

LICENSE
For contributors see file ChangeLog.

This software is copyright (c) 2003-2025 by Mark Overmeer.

This is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as the Perl 5 programming language system itself.