=encoding utf8

=head1 NAME

User::Identity::Archive - base class for archiving user information

=head1 INHERITANCE

 User::Identity::Archive
   is a User::Identity::Item

 User::Identity::Archive is extended by
   User::Identity::Archive::Plain

=head1 SYNOPSIS

  use User::Identity::Archive::Plain;
  my $friends = User::Identity::Archive::Plain->new('friends');
  $friends->from(\*FH);
  $friends->from('.friends');

=head1 DESCRIPTION

An archive stores collections. It depends on the type of archive how and
where that is done.  Some archivers may limit the kinds of selections
which can be stored.

Extends L<"DESCRIPTION" in User::Identity::Item|User::Identity::Item/"DESCRIPTION">.

=head1 OVERLOADED

=head1 METHODS

Extends L<"METHODS" in User::Identity::Item|User::Identity::Item/"METHODS">.

=head2 Constructors

Extends L<"Constructors" in User::Identity::Item|User::Identity::Item/"Constructors">.

=over 4

=item $class-E<gt>B<new>( [$name], %options )

Z<>

 -Option     --Defined in          --Default
  description  User::Identity::Item  undef
  from                               undef
  name         User::Identity::Item  <required>
  parent       User::Identity::Item  undef

=over 2

=item description => STRING

=item from => FILEHANDLE|FILENAME

=item name => STRING

=item parent => OBJECT

=back

=back

=head2 Attributes

Extends L<"Attributes" in User::Identity::Item|User::Identity::Item/"Attributes">.

=over 4

=item $obj-E<gt>B<description>()

Inherited, see L<User::Identity::Item/"Attributes">

=item $obj-E<gt>B<name>( [$newname] )

Inherited, see L<User::Identity::Item/"Attributes">

=back

=head2 Collections

Extends L<"Collections" in User::Identity::Item|User::Identity::Item/"Collections">.

=over 4

=item $obj-E<gt>B<add>($collection, $role)

Inherited, see L<User::Identity::Item/"Collections">

=item $obj-E<gt>B<addCollection>( $object | <[$type], %options> )

Inherited, see L<User::Identity::Item/"Collections">

=item $obj-E<gt>B<collection>($name)

Inherited, see L<User::Identity::Item/"Collections">

=item $obj-E<gt>B<parent>( [$parent] )

Inherited, see L<User::Identity::Item/"Collections">

=item $obj-E<gt>B<removeCollection>($object|$name)

Inherited, see L<User::Identity::Item/"Collections">

=item $any-E<gt>B<type>()

Inherited, see L<User::Identity::Item/"Collections">

=item $obj-E<gt>B<user>()

Inherited, see L<User::Identity::Item/"Collections">

=back

=head2 Searching

Extends L<"Searching" in User::Identity::Item|User::Identity::Item/"Searching">.

=over 4

=item $obj-E<gt>B<find>($collection, $role)

Inherited, see L<User::Identity::Item/"Searching">

=back

=head2 Access to the archive

=over 4

=item $obj-E<gt>B<from>($source, %options)

Read definitions from the specified C<$source>, which usually can be a
filehandle or filename.  The syntax used in the information C<$source>
is archiver dependent.

Not all archivers implement C<from()>, so you may want to check with
C<UNIVERSAL::can()> beforehand.

example: 

  use User::Identity::Archive::Some;
  my $a = User::Identity::Archive::Some->new('xyz');
  $a->from(\*STDIN) if $a->can('from');

=back

=head1 DIAGNOSTICS

=over 4

=item Error: $object is not a collection.

The first argument is an object, but not of a class which extends
L<User::Identity::Collection|User::Identity::Collection>.
Cast by addCollection()

=item Error: Cannot load collection module for $type ($class).

Either the specified C<$type> does not exist, or that module named C<$class> returns
compilation errors.  If the type as specified in the warning is not
the name of a package, you specified a nickname which was not defined.
Maybe you forgot the 'require' the package which defines the nickname.
Cast by addCollection()

=item Error: Creation of a collection via $class failed.

The C<$class> did compile, but it was not possible to create an object
of that class using the options you specified.
Cast by addCollection()

=item Error: Don't know what type of collection you want to add.

If you add a collection, it must either by a collection object or a
list of options which can be used to create a collection object.  In
the latter case, the type of collection must be specified.
Cast by addCollection()

=item Warning: No collection $name

The collection with C<$name> does not exist and can not be created.
Cast by add()

=back

=head1 SEE ALSO

This module is part of User-Identity version 1.03,
built on September 12, 2025. Website: F<http://perl.overmeer.net/CPAN/>

=head1 LICENSE

For contributors see file ChangeLog.

This software is copyright (c) 2003-2025 by Mark Overmeer.

This is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
the same terms as the Perl 5 programming language system itself.

