---
name: "Zoidberg::Utils"
section: "3pm"
platform: "linux"
package: "zoidberg"
version: "0.96-1"
release: "Debian 5.0 (Lenny)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/Zoidberg::Utils"
---

# Zoidberg::Utils(3pm)

An interface to zoid's utility libs

## NAME

Zoidberg::Utils - An interface to zoid's utility libs

## SYNOPSIS

TODO

## DESCRIPTION

This module bundles common routines used by the Zoidberg  object classes, especially the error and output routines.

It is intended as a bundle or cluster of several packages so it is easier to keep track of all utility methods.

## EXPORT

By default the ':error' and ':output' tags are exported.

The following export tags are defined:

- :error

  Gives you `"error"`, `"bug"`, `"todo"`, `"complain"`; the first 3 belong to Zoidberg::Utils::Error, the last to Zoidberg::Utils::Output.

- :output

  Gives you `"output"`, `"message"` and  `"debug"`, all of which belong to Zoidberg::Utils::Output.

- :fs

  Gives you `"path"` and `"list_dir"`, which belong to  Zoidberg::Utils::FileSystem.

Also methods listen below can be requested for import.

## METHODS

- "read\_data\_file($basename)"

  Searches in zoid's data dirs for a file with basename `$basename` and returns a hash reference with it's contents.

  This method should be used by all plugins etc. to ensure portability.

  FIXME more explanation

- "read\_file($file)"

  Returns a hash reference with the contents of `$file`. Currently only perl scripts are read and these should return (or end with) a hash reference. Possibly other formats like yaml will be added later.

## AUTHOR

Jaap Karssenberg ⎪⎪ Pardus \[Larus\] \<pardus@cpan.org\>

Copyright (c) 2003 Jaap G Karssenberg. All rights reserved. This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.

The import function was adapted from Exporter::Tidy by Juerd Waalboer \<juerd@cpan.org\>, it was modified to add the clustering feature.

## SEE ALSO

Zoidberg, Zoidberg::Utils::Error, Zoidberg::Utils::Output, Zoidberg::Utils::FileSystem, Zoidberg::Utils::GetOpt