NAME

Env::Array - Perl module that ``imports'' environment variables as arrays

SYNOPSIS

With explicit delimiters:

    use Env::Array qw(PATH :);
    use Env::Array qw(@MANPATH :);

With inferred delimiters:

    use Env::Array qw(@LD_LIBRARY_PATH);

DESCRIPTION

The Env::Array Perl module allows environment variables to be treated as Perl array variables, analogous to the way the Env module allows them to be treated as scalar variables.

The Env::Array::import() function requires pairs of environment variable names and delimiter strings to be presented in the use statement. If just one argument is given, then $Config::Config{path_sep} is taken as the delimiter. Env::Array allows the variable name to have the '@' array type prefix, if desired. The variable being tied must otherwise begin with a letter. Unlike Env, Env::Array does nothing if the use list is empty.

After an environment variable is tied, just use it like an ordinary array. Bear in mind, however, that each access to the variable requires splitting the string anew.

The code:

    use Env::Array qw(@PATH);
    push @PATH, '.';

is equivalent to:

    use Env qw(PATH);
        $PATH .= ":.";

except that the Env::Array approach does the right thing for both Unix-like operating systems and for Win32. Also, if $ENV{PATH} was the empty string, the Env approach leaves it with the (odd) value ``:.'', but the Env::Array approach leaves it with ``.''.

Env::Array requires Perl 5.005 or later for proper operation due to its use of tied arrays.

SEE ALSO

The Env Perl module.

AUTHOR

Gregor N. Purdy <gregor@focusresearch.com>

COPYRIGHT

Copyright (C) 1999-2000 Gregor N. Purdy. All rights reserved. This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.