---
name: "WebService::CIA"
section: "3pm"
platform: "linux"
package: "libwebservice-cia-perl"
version: "1.4-4"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/WebService::CIA"
---

# WebService::CIA(3pm)

Get information from the CIA World Factbook.

## NAME

WebService::CIA - Get information from the CIA World Factbook.

## SYNOPSIS

```
  use WebService::CIA;
  use WebService::CIA::Source::DBM;
  use WebService::CIA::Source::Web;
  # Get data from a pre-compiled DBM file
  my $source = WebService::CIA::Source::DBM->new({ DBM => "factbook.dbm" });
  my $cia = WebService::CIA->new({ Source => $source });
  $fact = $cia->get("uk", "Population");
  print $fact;
  # Get data direct from the CIA World Factbook
  my $source = WebService::CIA::Source::Web->new();
  my $cia = WebService::CIA->new({ Source => $source });
  $fact = $cia->get("uk", "Population");
  print $fact;
```

## DESCRIPTION

A module which gets information from the CIA World Factbook.

## Crypt::SSLeay

The most recent version of the CIA World Factbook uses HTTPS to access its web pages. As such, WebService::CIA requires Crypt::SSLeay which suffers from the usual cryptographic export restriction mumbo jumbo. Sorry about that.

Users of ActiveState's ActivePerl should see \<http://aspn.activestate.com/ASPN/Downloads/ActivePerl/PPM/Repository\> for instructions on downloading a PPM of Crypt::SSLeay.

## METHODS

- "new(\\%opts)"

  Creates a new WebService::CIA object. Takes a hashref, which must contain a "Source" key whose value is a WebService::CIA::Storage object.

- "get($country\_code, $field)"

  This method retrieves information from the store.

  It takes two arguments: a country code (as defined in FIPS 10-4 on \<https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/appendix/appendix-d.html\>, e.g. "uk", "us") and a field name (as defined in \<https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html\>, e.g. "Population", "Agriculture - products"). (WebService::CIA::Parser also creates four extra fields: "URL", "URL - Print", "URL - Flag", and "URL - Map" which are the URLs of the country's Factbook page, the printable version of that page, a GIF map of the country, and a GIF flag of the country respectively.)

  The field name is very case and punctuation sensitive.

  It returns the value of the field, or `"undef"` if the field or country isn't in the store.

  Note that when using WebService::CIA::Store::Web, `"get"` will also return `"undef"` if there is an error getting the page.

- "get\_hashref(\\@countries, \\@fields)"

  This method takes two arguments: an arrayref of country codes and an arrayref of field names.

  It returns a hashref of the form

  ```
    {
     'country1' => {
                    'field1' => 'value',
                    'field2' => 'value'
                   },
     'country2' => {
                    'field1' => 'value',
                    'field2' => 'value'
                   }
    }
  ```

- "get\_all\_hashref(\\@countries)"

  Get all the fields available for countries.

  It takes one argument, an arrayref of country codes.

  It returns a hashref similar to the one from `"get_hashref"` above, containing all the fields available for each country.

- "source()"

  Get a reference to the WebService::CIA::Source object in use.

## CONFIGURATION VARIABLES

- $WebService::CIA::base\_url

  Sets the base URL for the Factbook (currently  "https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/"). If the Factbook changes location, this can be changed to point to the new location (assuming the relative structure of the Factbook is unchanged).

## AUTHOR

Ian Malpass (ian-cpan@indecorous.com)

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright 2003-2007, Ian Malpass

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

The CIA World Factbook's copyright information page (\<https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/contributor\_copyright.html\>) states:

```
  The Factbook is in the public domain. Accordingly, it may be copied
  freely without permission of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
```

## SEE ALSO

WebService::CIA::Parser, WebService::CIA::Source::DBM, WebService::CIA::Source::Web