Net::Z3950::Record::GRS1 - Perl package used to encode GRS-1 records. use Net::Z3950::GRS1; my $a_grs1_record = new Net::Z3950::Record::GRS1; my $another_grs1_record = new Net::Z3950::Record::GRS1; $a_grs1_record->AddElement($type, $value, $content); $a_grs1_record->Render(); This Perl module helps you to create and manipulate GRS-1 records (generic record syntax). So far, you have only access to three methods:

new
Creates a new GRS-1 object, my $grs1 = new Net::Z3950::GRS1;

AddElement
Lets you add entries to a GRS-1 object. The method should be called this way, $grs1->AddElement($type, $value, $which, $content); where $type should be an integer, and $value is free text. The $which argument should contain one of the constants listed in Appendix A. Finally, $content contains the "thing" that should be stored in this entry. The structure of $content should match the chosen element data type. For $which == Net::Z3950::GRS1::ElementData::String; $content should be some kind of scalar. If on the other hand, $which == Net::Z3950::GRS1::ElementData::Subtree; $content should be a GRS1 object.

Render
This method digs through the GRS-1 data structure and renders the record. You call it this way, $grs1->Render(); If you want to access the rendered record through a variable, you can do it like this, my $record_as_string; $grs1->Render(POOL => \$record_as_string); If you want it stored in a file, Render should be called this way, $grs1->Render(FILE => 'record.grs1'); When no file name is specified, you can choose to stream the rendered record, for instance, $grs1->Render(HANDLE => *STDOUT); ## or $grs1->Render(HANDLE => *STDERR); ## or $grs1->Render(HANDLE => *MY_HANDLE);

Hash2grs
This method converts a hash into a GRS-1 object. Scalar entries within the hash are converted into GRS-1 string elements. A hash entry can itself be a reference to another hash. In this case, the new referenced hash will be converted into a GRS-1 subtree. The method is called this way, $grs1->Hash2grs($href, $mapping); where $href is the hash to be converted and $mapping is referenced hash specifying the mapping between keys in $href and (type, value) pairs in the $grs1 object. The $mapping hash could for instance look like this, my $mapping = { title => [2, 1], author => [1, 1], issn => [3, 1] }; If the $grs1 object contains data prior to the invocation of Hash2grs, the new data represented by the hash is simply added. These element data types are specified in the Z39.50 protocol: Net::Z3950::GRS1::ElementData::Octets Net::Z3950::GRS1::ElementData::Numeric Net::Z3950::GRS1::ElementData::Date Net::Z3950::GRS1::ElementData::Ext Net::Z3950::GRS1::ElementData::String <--- Net::Z3950::GRS1::ElementData::TrueOrFalse Net::Z3950::GRS1::ElementData::OID Net::Z3950::GRS1::ElementData::IntUnit Net::Z3950::GRS1::ElementData::ElementNotThere Net::Z3950::GRS1::ElementData::ElementEmpty Net::Z3950::GRS1::ElementData::NoDataRequested Net::Z3950::GRS1::ElementData::Diagnostic Net::Z3950::GRS1::ElementData::Subtree <--- Only the '<---' marked types are so far supported in this package. Anders Sønderberg Mortensen <sondberg@indexdata.dk> Index Data ApS, Copenhagen, Denmark. 2001/03/09 Specification of the GRS-1 standard, for instance in the Z39.50 protocol specification.