To initialize VHFFS subsystem, you have to create an instance of Vhffs::Main module. If VHFFS is well-done configured (/etc/vhffs/vhffs.conf is good), the backend is created and runs, it will just works ! To initialize the VHFFS subsystem, just type this code :

#!/usr/bin/perl

use Vhffs::Main;

my $vhffs = init Vhffs::Main;

if( defined $vhffs ){

print “VHFFS subsystem is now initialized”;

}else{

print “VHFFS initialization error”;

}

Don't forget the Vhffs::Main instance, it will be used for ALL modules and is the center of VHFFS-API. You can't do many things without it (in other words : you cannot do something without it).

When you involve $vhffs = init Vhffs::Main;, then :

1. The main config-file is read
2. Connexions to the backend are established
3. A Vhffs::Conf is created and encapsulated in the returned Vhffs::Main object.

A particular method in VHFFS API is the getall method. Implemented on all modules, it's more easy to get objects with it. With the getall method, you can :

1. Search for an object that belong to a group
2. Search for an object that have a name like something
3. Search for an object that belong to a specific user
4. Search for object that have a specific status
5. …

For example, the getall method can returns all websites objects (Vhffs::Services::Httpd module) that belong to the group mygroup, are activated and are call like mywebsite.com.

The typical getall definition is :

getall( $vhffs , $state , $name , $group ) with the following arguments :

1. $vhffs is a Vhffs::Main object. You must create it with an $vhffs = init Vhffs::Main call.
2. $state is a number with symbolized a state of VHFFS. States are stored in the Vhffs::Constants module. You can use $state as Vhffs::Constants::ACTIVATED.
3. $name is the name of the service you search. It's not the exact name, and all services that matches $name will be returned.
4. $group is the group that own the searched service. Must be a Vhffs::Group reference.

Each object implements a commit() method. Purpose of this method is to save all changes made on objects. For example, if you fetch an object from VHFFS database and you modify some informations on this object. To save changes, you have to invoke the commit() method on the object.

Example : $object→commit

This method will return a negative value if fails.

When you have an object, you can fetch informations about it in the database. For example, you have a Vhffs::User with username Kevin. If you want get all informations in the database about this user, you have to invoke the fetch() method on the object.

The method will return a negative value if fails. This is very important, because you can test if an object already exists in the database : you create the object, and when invoking fetch() method, if it returns a negative value, the object does not exists in the database. Else, it already exists and cannot be created.

This method will be deprecated in VHFFS 4.1 since you have to create a new object with dummy data before calling it. Instead, use directly Vhffs::Xxxx::get_by_yyyy($vhffs, $value) method wich return a fully functional object with all its data filled (Xxxxx is the classname, 'yyyy' the criteria wich must match $value).

Fetch has been tagged as deprecated, a warning is printed for each call to it.

The create() method will store an object in the database. If fail, returns negative value.

This package contains heavy weight objects. You should only use its facilities when you need to modify, create or delete an object.

This package contains methods wich returns hashes with data about objects. The hashes doesn't have any method to modify the object. Use it when you need lightweight objects, e.g. for display.

This package is used by Robots, it could be removed soon