NAME
    CGI::AppBuilder::Config - Configuration initializer

SYNOPSIS
      use CGI::AppBuilder::Config;

      my $cg = CGI::AppBuilder::Config->new(
         'ifn', 'my_init.cfg', 'opt', 'vhS:a:');
      my $ar = $cg->get_inputs; 

DESCRIPTION
    This class provides methods for reading and parsing configuration files.

  new (ifn => 'file.cfg', opt => 'hvS:')
    This is a inherited method from CGI::AppBuilder. See the same method in
    CGI::AppBuilder for more details.

  get_inputs($ifn, $opt)
    Input variables:

      $ifn  - input/initial file name. 
      $opt  - options for Getopt::Std, for instance 'vhS:a:'

    Variables used or routines called:

      None

    How to use:

      my $ar = $self->get_inputs('/tmp/my_init.cfg','vhS:');

    Return: ($q, $ar) where $q is the CGI object and $ar is a hash array
    reference containing parameters from web form, or command line and/or
    configuration file if specified.

    This method performs the following tasks:

      1) create a CGI object
      2) get input from CGI web form or command line 
      3) read initial file if provided
      4) merge the two inputs into one hash array

    This method uses the following rules:

      1) All parameters in the initial file can not be changed through
         command line or web form;
      2) The "-S" option in command line can be used to set non-single
         char parameters in the format of 
         -S k1=value1:k2=value2
      3) Single char parameters are included only if they are listed
         in $opt input variable.

    Some parameters are dfined automatically:

      script_name - $ENV{SCRIPT_NAME} 
      url_dn      - $ENV{HTTP_HOST}
      home_url    - http://$ENV{HTTP_HOST}
      HomeLoc     - http://$ENV{HTTP_HOST}/
      version     - $VERSION
      action      - https://$ENV{HTTP_HOST}$ENV{SCRIPT_NAME}
      encoding    - application/x-www-form-urlencoded
      method      - POST

  read_init_file($fn)
    Input variables:

      $fn - full path to a file name

    Variables used or routines called:

      Debug::EchoMessage
        echoMSG - echo messages

    How to use:

      my $ar = $self->read_init_file('crop.ini');

    Return: a hash array ref

    This method reads a configuraton file containing parameters in the
    format of key=values. Multiple lines is allowed for values as long as
    the lines after the "key=" line are indented as least with two blanks.
    For instance:

      width = 80
      desc  = This is a long
              description about the value
      # you can define perl hash araay as well
      msg = {
        101 => "msg 101",
        102 => "msg 102"
        }
      # you can use variable as well
      js_var = /my/js/var_file.js
      js_src = /my/first/js/prg.js,$js_var

    This will create a hash array of

      $ar->{width} = 80
      $ar->{desc}  = "This is a long description about the value"
      $ar->{msg}   = {101=>"msg 101",102=>"msg 102"}
      $ar->{js_var}= "/my/js/var_file.js";
      $ar->{js_src}= "/my/first/js/prg.js,/my/js/var_file.js";

  read_cfg_file($fn,$ot, $fs)
    Input variables:

      $fn - full path to a file name
      $ot - output array type: A(array) or H(hash)
      $fs - field separator, default to vertical bar (|)

    Variables used or routines called:

      Debug::EchoMessage
        echoMSG  - display message

    How to use:

      my $arf = $self->read_cfg_file('crop.cfg', 'H');

    Return: an array or hash array ref containing (${$arf}[$i]{$itm},
    ${$arf}[$i][$j];

    This method reads a configuraton file containing delimited fields. It
    looks a line starting with '#CN:' for column names. If it finds the
    line, it uses to define the first row in the array or use the column
    names as keys in the hash array.

    The default output type is A(array). It will read the field names into
    the first row ([0][0]~[0][n]). If output array type is hash, then it
    uses the columns name as keys such as ${$arf}[$i]{key}. If it does not
    find '#CN:' line, it will use 'FD001' ~ 'FD###' as keys.

      #Form: fm1
      #CN: Step|VarName|DispName|Action|Description                         
      0.0|t1|Title||CROP Worksheet                          

HISTORY
    * Version 0.10
        This version extracts these methods from CGI::Getopt class:
        get_inputs, read_init_file, and read_cfg_file.

    * Version 0.11
        Inherits the new constructor from CGI::AppBuilder.

SEE ALSO (some of docs that I check often)
        Oracle::Loader, Oracle::Trigger, CGI::AppBuilder, File::Xcopy,
        Debug::EchoMessage

AUTHOR
        Copyright (c) 2005 Hanming Tu. All rights reserved.

        This package is free software and is provided "as is" without
        express or implied warranty. It may be used, redistributed and/or
        modified under the terms of the Perl Artistic License (see
        http://www.perl.com/perl/misc/Artistic.html)