---
name: "User::Identity::Archive"
section: "3pm"
platform: "linux"
package: "perl-user-identity"
version: "4.00-2"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/User::Identity::Archive"
---

# User::Identity::Archive(3pm)

base class for archiving user information

## NAME

User::Identity::Archive - base class for archiving user information

## INHERITANCE

```
 User::Identity::Archive
   is a User::Identity::Item
 User::Identity::Archive is extended by
   User::Identity::Archive::Plain
```

## SYNOPSIS

```
  use User::Identity::Archive::Plain;
  my $friends = User::Identity::Archive::Plain->new('friends');
  $friends->from(\*FH);
  $friends->from('.friends');
```

## DESCRIPTION

An archive stores collections. It depends on the type of archive how and where that is done.  Some archivers may limit the kinds of selections which can be stored.

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

## OVERLOADED

## 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
    from                               undef
    name         User::Identity::Item  <required>
    parent       User::Identity::Item  undef
  ```

  - description =\> STRING

    - from =\> $filehandle\|$file

    - name =\> STRING

    - parent =\> OBJECT

    ### Attributes

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

- $obj-\>**description**()

  Inherited, see "Attributes" in User::Identity::Item

- $obj-\>**name**( \[$newname\] )

  Inherited, see "Attributes" in User::Identity::Item

### 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

### Searching

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

- $obj-\>**find**($collection, $role)

  Inherited, see "Searching" in User::Identity::Item

### Access to the archive

- $obj-\>**from**($source, %options)

  Read definitions from the specified `$source`, which usually can be a filehandle or filename.  The syntax used in the information `$source` is archiver dependent.

  Not all archivers implement `from()`, so you may want to check with `UNIVERSAL::can()` beforehand.

  » example:

  ```
    use User::Identity::Archive::Some;
    my $a = User::Identity::Archive::Some->new('xyz');
    $a->from(\*STDIN) if $a->can('from');
  ```

## DIAGNOSTICS

- 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: 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()`

## 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.