---
name: "Badger::Factory::Class"
section: "3pm"
platform: "linux"
package: "libbadger-perl"
version: "0.16-3"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/Badger::Factory::Class"
---

# Badger::Factory::Class(3pm)

class module for Badger::Factory sub-classes

## NAME

Badger::Factory::Class - class module for Badger::Factory sub-classes

## SYNOPSIS

This module can be used to create subclasses of Badger::Factory.

```
    package My::Widgets;

    use Badger::Factory::Class
        version => 0.01,
        item    => 'widget',
        path    => 'My::Widget Your::Widget',
        widgets => {
            extra => 'Another::Widget::Module',
            super => 'Golly::Gosh',
        },
        names   => {
            html  => 'HTML',
            color => 'Colour',
        };
    package main;

    # class method
    my $widget = My::Widgets->widget( foo => @args );

    # object method
    my $widgets = My::Widgets->new;
    my $widget  = $widgets->widget( foo => @args );
```

## DESCRIPTION

This module is a subclass of Badger::Class specialised for the purpose of creating Badger::Factory subclasses.  It is used by the  Badger::Codecs module among others.

## METHODS

The following methods are provided in addition to those inherited  from the Badger::Class base class.

### item($name)

The singular name of the item that the factory manages.  This is used to set the `$ITEM` package variable for Badger::Factory to use.

### items($name)

The plural name of the item that the factory manages.  This is used to set the `$ITEMS` package variable for Badger::Factory to use.

### path($name)

A list of module names that form the search path when loading modules. This will set the relevant package variable depending on the value of `$ITEMS` (or the regular plural form of `$ITEM` if `$ITEMS` is undefined).  For example, is `$ITEMS` is set to `"widgets"` then this method will set `$WIDGETS_PATH`.

You can specify the path as a reference to a list of module bases, e.g.

```
    use Badger::Factory::Class
        item => 'widget',
        path => ['My::Widget', 'Your::Widget'];
```

Or as a single string containing multiple values separated by whitespace.

```
    use Badger::Factory::Class
        item => 'widget',
        path => 'My::Widget Your::Widget';
```

If you specify it as a single string then you can also include optional  and/or alternate parts in parentheses.  For example the above can be  written more concisely as:

```
    use Badger::Factory::Class
        item => 'widget',
        path => '(My|Your)::Widget';
```

If the parentheses don't contain a vertical bar then then enclosed fragment is treated as being optional.  So instead of writing something like:

```
    use Badger::Factory::Class
        item => 'widget',
        path => 'Badger::Widget BadgerX::Widget';
```

You can write:

```
    use Badger::Factory::Class
        item => 'widget',
        path => 'Badger(X)::Widget';
```

See the **permute\_fragments()** function in Badger::Utils for further details on how fragments are expanded.

### names($names)

A reference to a hash array of name mappings. This can be used to handle any unusual spellings or capitalisations. See Badger::Factory for further details.

### default($name)

The default name to use when none is specified in a request for a module.

## AUTHOR

Andy Wardley \<http://wardley.org/\>

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright (C) 2006-2009 Andy Wardley.  All Rights Reserved.

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

## SEE ALSO

Badger::Factory, Badger::Codecs