Description

The Data::Flow module allows you to specify a hash of "recipes" that fetch or manipulate data. Each recipe has a name (the hash key), which you can use to set the input or fetch the output value of the recipe using the Data::Flow set and get methods. A recipe can depend on other prerequisite recipes, which means that the input of one recipe can be taken from the output of other recipes. You can use this to create a hierarchy (or other structure) of dependent recipes. The cool thing is that you then call for a specific type of output, and the data flows from its input recipes through all of the dependent recipes to your output, without you having to code the calling structure directly. This allows for a lot of flexibility, because you can manipulate your calling structure by changing your hash recipes and dependencies, not by having to find all of the places that subroutine X is called in your code.

Why should you use it?

The Data::Flow module would be especially appropriate if your data can be processed in a lot of complicated and inter-related ways, and you want a lot of flexibility in how you'll want it processed, now or in the future.

Why should you NOT use it?

For straightforward processing of your data, the recipe structure of Data::Flow can be overkill. It's not as intuitively obvious as just hacking the code.

Related Modules

The C::Scan module uses the Data::Flow module. (Both were written by Ilya.)

Example

The Data::Flow documentation provides an okay example, but looking at the C::Scan module will teach you more about using Data::Flow powerfully.

In reply to Data::Flow by knight

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