DBIx::Connect came into being after repeated patch submissions to the author of DBIx::Password were rejected. So I designed the module based on practical immediate needs and it was useful enough for other people that wanted to make mods that I put it on sourceforge.

Now I am on a new database-project and just realized something: there is more to configuring a database application than setting up a database connection.

In particular, right now, I need to have information about which table is my master table, which table is my leads table, etc. And of course, the initial call to DBIx::Connect should return more than a $dbh, it should return the configuration object also.

Now, if all the methods of the module returned a scalar as its first argument, it would be simply a matter of returning the configuration object as a second scalar. But I was short-sighted and returned arrays and hashes for the methods which returned aggregates: 

# DBIx::AnyDBD usage:
 my @connect_data = DBIx::Connect->data_array('dev_db');
 my $dbh          = DBIx::AnyDBD->connect(@connect_data, "MyClass");

 # Alzabo usage
 my %connect_data = DBIx::Connect->data_hash('dev_db');

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And why? It certainly is less efficient to return copies than references.

But now I am stuck with my design decision unless I make a major API change and have every call return a scalar as its first argument. The other option is to have one call to get the connection information or database handle and make a second call for a configuration object, but this inefficient and doubles the lines of code needed for using the module.

I think I will just make the API change as no one uses this module with Alzabo or DBIx::AnyDBD other than me.

Carter's compass: I know I'm on the right track when by deleting something, I'm adding functionality

In reply to Design Flaws in DBIx::Connect by princepawn

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