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+=head1 NAME
+
+BerkeleyDB - Perl extension for Berkeley DB version 2, 3 or 4
+
+=head1 SYNOPSIS
+
+ use BerkeleyDB;
+
+ $env = new BerkeleyDB::Env [OPTIONS] ;
+
+ $db = tie %hash, 'BerkeleyDB::Hash', [OPTIONS] ;
+ $db = new BerkeleyDB::Hash [OPTIONS] ;
+
+ $db = tie %hash, 'BerkeleyDB::Btree', [OPTIONS] ;
+ $db = new BerkeleyDB::Btree [OPTIONS] ;
+
+ $db = tie %hash, 'BerkeleyDB::Recno', [OPTIONS] ;
+ $db = new BerkeleyDB::Recno [OPTIONS] ;
+
+ $db = tie %hash, 'BerkeleyDB::Queue', [OPTIONS] ;
+ $db = new BerkeleyDB::Queue [OPTIONS] ;
+
+ $db = new BerkeleyDB::Unknown [OPTIONS] ;
+
+ $status = BerkeleyDB::db_remove [OPTIONS]
+ $status = BerkeleyDB::db_rename [OPTIONS]
+ $status = BerkeleyDB::db_verify [OPTIONS]
+
+ $hash{$key} = $value ;
+ $value = $hash{$key} ;
+ each %hash ;
+ keys %hash ;
+ values %hash ;
+
+ $status = $db->db_get()
+ $status = $db->db_put() ;
+ $status = $db->db_del() ;
+ $status = $db->db_sync() ;
+ $status = $db->db_close() ;
+ $status = $db->db_close() ;
+ $status = $db->db_pget()
+ $hash_ref = $db->db_stat() ;
+ $status = $db->db_key_range();
+ $type = $db->type() ;
+ $status = $db->status() ;
+ $boolean = $db->byteswapped() ;
+ $status = $db->truncate($count) ;
+
+ ($flag, $old_offset, $old_length) = $db->partial_set($offset, $length) ;
+ ($flag, $old_offset, $old_length) = $db->partial_clear() ;
+
+ $cursor = $db->db_cursor([$flags]) ;
+ $newcursor = $cursor->c_dup([$flags]);
+ $status = $cursor->c_get() ;
+ $status = $cursor->c_put() ;
+ $status = $cursor->c_del() ;
+ $status = $cursor->c_count() ;
+ $status = $cursor->c_pget() ;
+ $status = $cursor->status() ;
+ $status = $cursor->c_close() ;
+
+ $cursor = $db->db_join() ;
+ $status = $cursor->c_get() ;
+ $status = $cursor->c_close() ;
+
+ $status = $env->txn_checkpoint()
+ $hash_ref = $env->txn_stat()
+ $status = $env->setmutexlocks()
+ $status = $env->set_flags()
+
+ $txn = $env->txn_begin() ;
+ $db->Txn($txn);
+ $txn->Txn($db1, $db2,...);
+ $status = $txn->txn_prepare()
+ $status = $txn->txn_commit()
+ $status = $txn->txn_abort()
+ $status = $txn->txn_id()
+ $status = $txn->txn_discard()
+
+ $status = $env->set_lg_dir();
+ $status = $env->set_lg_bsize();
+ $status = $env->set_lg_max();
+
+ $status = $env->set_data_dir() ;
+ $status = $env->set_tmp_dir() ;
+ $status = $env->set_verbose() ;
+
+ $BerkeleyDB::Error
+ $BerkeleyDB::db_version
+
+ # DBM Filters
+ $old_filter = $db->filter_store_key ( sub { ... } ) ;
+ $old_filter = $db->filter_store_value( sub { ... } ) ;
+ $old_filter = $db->filter_fetch_key ( sub { ... } ) ;
+ $old_filter = $db->filter_fetch_value( sub { ... } ) ;
+
+ # deprecated, but supported
+ $txn_mgr = $env->TxnMgr();
+ $status = $txn_mgr->txn_checkpoint()
+ $hash_ref = $txn_mgr->txn_stat()
+ $txn = $txn_mgr->txn_begin() ;
+
+=head1 DESCRIPTION
+
+B<NOTE: This document is still under construction. Expect it to be
+incomplete in places.>
+
+This Perl module provides an interface to most of the functionality
+available in Berkeley DB versions 2, 3 and 4. In general it is safe to assume
+that the interface provided here to be identical to the Berkeley DB
+interface. The main changes have been to make the Berkeley DB API work
+in a Perl way. Note that if you are using Berkeley DB 2.x, the new
+features available in Berkeley DB 3.x or DB 4.x are not available via
+this module.
+
+The reader is expected to be familiar with the Berkeley DB
+documentation. Where the interface provided here is identical to the
+Berkeley DB library and the... TODO
+
+The B<db_appinit>, B<db_cursor>, B<db_open> and B<db_txn> man pages are
+particularly relevant.
+
+The interface to Berkeley DB is implemented with a number of Perl
+classes.
+
+=head1 ENV CLASS
+
+The B<BerkeleyDB::Env> class provides an interface to the Berkeley DB
+function B<db_appinit> in Berkeley DB 2.x or B<db_env_create> and
+B<DBENV-E<gt>open> in Berkeley DB 3.x/4.x. Its purpose is to initialise a
+number of sub-systems that can then be used in a consistent way in all
+the databases you make use of the environment.
+
+If you don't intend using transactions, locking or logging, then you
+shouldn't need to make use of B<BerkeleyDB::Env>.
+
+=head2 Synopsis
+
+ $env = new BerkeleyDB::Env
+ [ -Home => $path, ]
+ [ -Server => $name, ]
+ [ -CacheSize => $number, ]
+ [ -Config => { name => value, name => value }, ]
+ [ -ErrFile => filename, ]
+ [ -ErrPrefix => "string", ]
+ [ -Flags => number, ]
+ [ -SetFlags => bitmask, ]
+ [ -LockDetect => number, ]
+ [ -Verbose => boolean, ]
+
+=over 5
+
+All the parameters to the BerkeleyDB::Env constructor are optional.
+
+=item -Home
+
+If present, this parameter should point to an existing directory. Any
+files that I<aren't> specified with an absolute path in the sub-systems
+that are initialised by the BerkeleyDB::Env class will be assumed to
+live in the B<Home> directory.
+
+For example, in the code fragment below the database "fred.db" will be
+opened in the directory "/home/databases" because it was specified as a
+relative path, but "joe.db" will be opened in "/other" because it was
+part of an absolute path.
+
+ $env = new BerkeleyDB::Env
+ -Home => "/home/databases"
+ ...
+
+ $db1 = new BerkeleyDB::Hash
+ -Filename = "fred.db",
+ -Env => $env
+ ...
+
+ $db2 = new BerkeleyDB::Hash
+ -Filename = "/other/joe.db",
+ -Env => $env
+ ...
+
+=item -Server
+
+If present, this parameter should be the hostname of a server that is running
+the Berkeley DB RPC server. All databases will be accessed via the RPC server.
+
+=item -Cachesize
+
+If present, this parameter sets the size of the environments shared memory
+buffer pool.
+
+=item -Config
+
+This is a variation on the C<-Home> parameter, but it allows finer
+control of where specific types of files will be stored.
+
+The parameter expects a reference to a hash. Valid keys are:
+B<DB_DATA_DIR>, B<DB_LOG_DIR> and B<DB_TMP_DIR>
+
+The code below shows an example of how it can be used.
+
+ $env = new BerkeleyDB::Env
+ -Config => { DB_DATA_DIR => "/home/databases",
+ DB_LOG_DIR => "/home/logs",
+ DB_TMP_DIR => "/home/tmp"
+ }
+ ...
+
+=item -ErrFile
+
+Expects a filenme. Any errors generated internally by Berkeley DB will
+be logged to this file.
+
+=item -ErrPrefix
+
+Allows a prefix to be added to the error messages before they are sent
+to B<-ErrFile>.
+
+=item -Flags
+
+The B<Flags> parameter specifies both which sub-systems to initialise,
+as well as a number of environment-wide options.
+See the Berkeley DB documentation for more details of these options.
+
+Any of the following can be specified by OR'ing them:
+
+B<DB_CREATE>
+
+If any of the files specified do not already exist, create them.
+
+B<DB_INIT_CDB>
+
+Initialise the Concurrent Access Methods
+
+B<DB_INIT_LOCK>
+
+Initialise the Locking sub-system.
+
+B<DB_INIT_LOG>
+
+Initialise the Logging sub-system.
+
+B<DB_INIT_MPOOL>
+
+Initialise the ...
+
+B<DB_INIT_TXN>
+
+Initialise the ...
+
+B<DB_MPOOL_PRIVATE>
+
+Initialise the ...
+
+B<DB_INIT_MPOOL> is also specified.
+
+Initialise the ...
+
+B<DB_NOMMAP>
+
+Initialise the ...
+
+B<DB_RECOVER>
+
+
+
+B<DB_RECOVER_FATAL>
+
+B<DB_THREAD>
+
+B<DB_TXN_NOSYNC>
+
+B<DB_USE_ENVIRON>
+
+B<DB_USE_ENVIRON_ROOT>
+
+=item -SetFlags
+
+Calls ENV->set_flags with the supplied bitmask. Use this when you need to make
+use of DB_ENV->set_flags before DB_ENV->open is called.
+
+Only valid when Berkeley DB 3.x or better is used.
+
+=item -LockDetect
+
+Specifies what to do when a lock conflict occurs. The value should be one of
+
+B<DB_LOCK_DEFAULT>
+
+B<DB_LOCK_OLDEST>
+
+B<DB_LOCK_RANDOM>
+
+B<DB_LOCK_YOUNGEST>
+
+=item -Verbose
+
+Add extra debugging information to the messages sent to B<-ErrFile>.
+
+=back
+
+=head2 Methods
+
+The environment class has the following methods:
+
+=over 5
+
+=item $env->errPrefix("string") ;
+
+This method is identical to the B<-ErrPrefix> flag. It allows the
+error prefix string to be changed dynamically.
+
+=item $env->set_flags(bitmask, 1|0);
+
+=item $txn = $env->TxnMgr()
+
+Constructor for creating a B<TxnMgr> object.
+See L<"TRANSACTIONS"> for more details of using transactions.
+
+This method is deprecated. Access the transaction methods using the B<txn_>
+methods below from the environment object directly.
+
+=item $env->txn_begin()
+
+TODO
+
+=item $env->txn_stat()
+
+TODO
+
+=item $env->txn_checkpoint()
+
+TODO
+
+=item $env->status()
+
+Returns the status of the last BerkeleyDB::Env method.
+
+=item $env->setmutexlocks()
+
+Only available in Berkeley Db 3.0 or greater. Calls
+B<db_env_set_mutexlocks> when used with Berkeley DB 3.1.x. When used with
+Berkeley DB 3.0 or 3.2 and better it calls B<DBENV-E<gt>set_mutexlocks>.
+
+=back
+
+=head2 Examples
+
+TODO.
+
+=head1 Global Classes
+
+ $status = BerkeleyDB::db_remove [OPTIONS]
+ $status = BerkeleyDB::db_rename [OPTIONS]
+ $status = BerkeleyDB::db_verify [OPTIONS]
+
+=head1 THE DATABASE CLASSES
+
+B<BerkeleyDB> supports the following database formats:
+
+=over 5
+
+=item B<BerkeleyDB::Hash>
+
+This database type allows arbitrary key/value pairs to be stored in data
+files. This is equivalent to the functionality provided by other
+hashing packages like DBM, NDBM, ODBM, GDBM, and SDBM. Remember though,
+the files created using B<BerkeleyDB::Hash> are not compatible with any
+of the other packages mentioned.
+
+A default hashing algorithm, which will be adequate for most applications,
+is built into BerkeleyDB. If you do need to use your own hashing algorithm
+it is possible to write your own in Perl and have B<BerkeleyDB> use
+it instead.
+
+=item B<BerkeleyDB::Btree>
+
+The Btree format allows arbitrary key/value pairs to be stored in a
+B+tree.
+
+As with the B<BerkeleyDB::Hash> format, it is possible to provide a
+user defined Perl routine to perform the comparison of keys. By default,
+though, the keys are stored in lexical order.
+
+=item B<BerkeleyDB::Recno>
+
+TODO.
+
+
+=item B<BerkeleyDB::Queue>
+
+TODO.
+
+=item B<BerkeleyDB::Unknown>
+
+This isn't a database format at all. It is used when you want to open an
+existing Berkeley DB database without having to know what type is it.
+
+=back
+
+
+Each of the database formats described above is accessed via a
+corresponding B<BerkeleyDB> class. These will be described in turn in
+the next sections.
+
+=head1 BerkeleyDB::Hash
+
+Equivalent to calling B<db_open> with type B<DB_HASH> in Berkeley DB 2.x and
+calling B<db_create> followed by B<DB-E<gt>open> with type B<DB_HASH> in
+Berkeley DB 3.x or greater.
+
+Two forms of constructor are supported:
+
+ $db = new BerkeleyDB::Hash
+ [ -Filename => "filename", ]
+ [ -Subname => "sub-database name", ]
+ [ -Flags => flags,]
+ [ -Property => flags,]
+ [ -Mode => number,]
+ [ -Cachesize => number,]
+ [ -Lorder => number,]
+ [ -Pagesize => number,]
+ [ -Env => $env,]
+ [ -Txn => $txn,]
+ # BerkeleyDB::Hash specific
+ [ -Ffactor => number,]
+ [ -Nelem => number,]
+ [ -Hash => code reference,]
+ [ -DupCompare => code reference,]
+
+and this
+
+ [$db =] tie %hash, 'BerkeleyDB::Hash',
+ [ -Filename => "filename", ]
+ [ -Subname => "sub-database name", ]
+ [ -Flags => flags,]
+ [ -Property => flags,]
+ [ -Mode => number,]
+ [ -Cachesize => number,]
+ [ -Lorder => number,]
+ [ -Pagesize => number,]
+ [ -Env => $env,]
+ [ -Txn => $txn,]
+ # BerkeleyDB::Hash specific
+ [ -Ffactor => number,]
+ [ -Nelem => number,]
+ [ -Hash => code reference,]
+ [ -DupCompare => code reference,]
+
+
+When the "tie" interface is used, reading from and writing to the database
+is achieved via the tied hash. In this case the database operates like
+a Perl associative array that happens to be stored on disk.
+
+In addition to the high-level tied hash interface, it is possible to
+make use of the underlying methods provided by Berkeley DB
+
+=head2 Options
+
+In addition to the standard set of options (see L<COMMON OPTIONS>)
+B<BerkeleyDB::Hash> supports these options:
+
+=over 5
+
+=item -Property
+
+Used to specify extra flags when opening a database. The following
+flags may be specified by logically OR'ing together one or more of the
+following values:
+
+B<DB_DUP>
+
+When creating a new database, this flag enables the storing of duplicate
+keys in the database. If B<DB_DUPSORT> is not specified as well, the
+duplicates are stored in the order they are created in the database.
+
+B<DB_DUPSORT>
+
+Enables the sorting of duplicate keys in the database. Ignored if
+B<DB_DUP> isn't also specified.
+
+=item -Ffactor
+
+=item -Nelem
+
+See the Berkeley DB documentation for details of these options.
+
+=item -Hash
+
+Allows you to provide a user defined hash function. If not specified,
+a default hash function is used. Here is a template for a user-defined
+hash function
+
+ sub hash
+ {
+ my ($data) = shift ;
+ ...
+ # return the hash value for $data
+ return $hash ;
+ }
+
+ tie %h, "BerkeleyDB::Hash",
+ -Filename => $filename,
+ -Hash => \&hash,
+ ...
+
+See L<""> for an example.
+
+=item -DupCompare
+
+Used in conjunction with the B<DB_DUPOSRT> flag.
+
+ sub compare
+ {
+ my ($key, $key2) = @_ ;
+ ...
+ # return 0 if $key1 eq $key2
+ # -1 if $key1 lt $key2
+ # 1 if $key1 gt $key2
+ return (-1 , 0 or 1) ;
+ }
+
+ tie %h, "BerkeleyDB::Hash",
+ -Filename => $filename,
+ -Property => DB_DUP|DB_DUPSORT,
+ -DupCompare => \&compare,
+ ...
+
+=back
+
+
+=head2 Methods
+
+B<BerkeleyDB::Hash> only supports the standard database methods.
+See L<COMMON DATABASE METHODS>.
+
+=head2 A Simple Tied Hash Example
+
+ use strict ;
+ use BerkeleyDB ;
+ use vars qw( %h $k $v ) ;
+
+ my $filename = "fruit" ;
+ unlink $filename ;
+ tie %h, "BerkeleyDB::Hash",
+ -Filename => $filename,
+ -Flags => DB_CREATE
+ or die "Cannot open file $filename: $! $BerkeleyDB::Error\n" ;
+
+ # Add a few key/value pairs to the file
+ $h{"apple"} = "red" ;
+ $h{"orange"} = "orange" ;
+ $h{"banana"} = "yellow" ;
+ $h{"tomato"} = "red" ;
+
+ # Check for existence of a key
+ print "Banana Exists\n\n" if $h{"banana"} ;
+
+ # Delete a key/value pair.
+ delete $h{"apple"} ;
+
+ # print the contents of the file
+ while (($k, $v) = each %h)
+ { print "$k -> $v\n" }
+
+ untie %h ;
+
+here is the output:
+
+ Banana Exists
+
+ orange -> orange
+ tomato -> red
+ banana -> yellow
+
+Note that the like ordinary associative arrays, the order of the keys
+retrieved from a Hash database are in an apparently random order.
+
+=head2 Another Simple Hash Example
+
+Do the same as the previous example but not using tie.
+
+ use strict ;
+ use BerkeleyDB ;
+
+ my $filename = "fruit" ;
+ unlink $filename ;
+ my $db = new BerkeleyDB::Hash
+ -Filename => $filename,
+ -Flags => DB_CREATE
+ or die "Cannot open file $filename: $! $BerkeleyDB::Error\n" ;
+
+ # Add a few key/value pairs to the file
+ $db->db_put("apple", "red") ;
+ $db->db_put("orange", "orange") ;
+ $db->db_put("banana", "yellow") ;
+ $db->db_put("tomato", "red") ;
+
+ # Check for existence of a key
+ print "Banana Exists\n\n" if $db->db_get("banana", $v) == 0;
+
+ # Delete a key/value pair.
+ $db->db_del("apple") ;
+
+ # print the contents of the file
+ my ($k, $v) = ("", "") ;
+ my $cursor = $db->db_cursor() ;
+ while ($cursor->c_get($k, $v, DB_NEXT) == 0)
+ { print "$k -> $v\n" }
+
+ undef $cursor ;
+ undef $db ;
+
+=head2 Duplicate keys
+
+The code below is a variation on the examples above. This time the hash has
+been inverted. The key this time is colour and the value is the fruit name.
+The B<DB_DUP> flag has been specified to allow duplicates.
+
+ use strict ;
+ use BerkeleyDB ;
+
+ my $filename = "fruit" ;
+ unlink $filename ;
+ my $db = new BerkeleyDB::Hash
+ -Filename => $filename,
+ -Flags => DB_CREATE,
+ -Property => DB_DUP
+ or die "Cannot open file $filename: $! $BerkeleyDB::Error\n" ;
+
+ # Add a few key/value pairs to the file
+ $db->db_put("red", "apple") ;
+ $db->db_put("orange", "orange") ;
+ $db->db_put("green", "banana") ;
+ $db->db_put("yellow", "banana") ;
+ $db->db_put("red", "tomato") ;
+ $db->db_put("green", "apple") ;
+
+ # print the contents of the file
+ my ($k, $v) = ("", "") ;
+ my $cursor = $db->db_cursor() ;
+ while ($cursor->c_get($k, $v, DB_NEXT) == 0)
+ { print "$k -> $v\n" }
+
+ undef $cursor ;
+ undef $db ;
+
+here is the output:
+
+ orange -> orange
+ yellow -> banana
+ red -> apple
+ red -> tomato
+ green -> banana
+ green -> apple
+
+=head2 Sorting Duplicate Keys
+
+In the previous example, when there were duplicate keys, the values are
+sorted in the order they are stored in. The code below is
+identical to the previous example except the B<DB_DUPSORT> flag is
+specified.
+
+ use strict ;
+ use BerkeleyDB ;
+
+ my $filename = "fruit" ;
+ unlink $filename ;
+ my $db = new BerkeleyDB::Hash
+ -Filename => $filename,
+ -Flags => DB_CREATE,
+ -Property => DB_DUP | DB_DUPSORT
+ or die "Cannot open file $filename: $! $BerkeleyDB::Error\n" ;
+
+ # Add a few key/value pairs to the file
+ $db->db_put("red", "apple") ;
+ $db->db_put("orange", "orange") ;
+ $db->db_put("green", "banana") ;
+ $db->db_put("yellow", "banana") ;
+ $db->db_put("red", "tomato") ;
+ $db->db_put("green", "apple") ;
+
+ # print the contents of the file
+ my ($k, $v) = ("", "") ;
+ my $cursor = $db->db_cursor() ;
+ while ($cursor->c_get($k, $v, DB_NEXT) == 0)
+ { print "$k -> $v\n" }
+
+ undef $cursor ;
+ undef $db ;
+
+Notice that in the output below the duplicate values are sorted.
+
+ orange -> orange
+ yellow -> banana
+ red -> apple
+ red -> tomato
+ green -> apple
+ green -> banana
+
+=head2 Custom Sorting Duplicate Keys
+
+Another variation
+
+TODO
+
+=head2 Changing the hash
+
+TODO
+
+=head2 Using db_stat
+
+TODO
+
+=head1 BerkeleyDB::Btree
+
+Equivalent to calling B<db_open> with type B<DB_BTREE> in Berkeley DB 2.x and
+calling B<db_create> followed by B<DB-E<gt>open> with type B<DB_BTREE> in
+Berkeley DB 3.x or greater.
+
+Two forms of constructor are supported:
+
+
+ $db = new BerkeleyDB::Btree
+ [ -Filename => "filename", ]
+ [ -Subname => "sub-database name", ]
+ [ -Flags => flags,]
+ [ -Property => flags,]
+ [ -Mode => number,]
+ [ -Cachesize => number,]
+ [ -Lorder => number,]
+ [ -Pagesize => number,]
+ [ -Env => $env,]
+ [ -Txn => $txn,]
+ # BerkeleyDB::Btree specific
+ [ -Minkey => number,]
+ [ -Compare => code reference,]
+ [ -DupCompare => code reference,]
+ [ -Prefix => code reference,]
+
+and this
+
+ [$db =] tie %hash, 'BerkeleyDB::Btree',
+ [ -Filename => "filename", ]
+ [ -Subname => "sub-database name", ]
+ [ -Flags => flags,]
+ [ -Property => flags,]
+ [ -Mode => number,]
+ [ -Cachesize => number,]
+ [ -Lorder => number,]
+ [ -Pagesize => number,]
+ [ -Env => $env,]
+ [ -Txn => $txn,]
+ # BerkeleyDB::Btree specific
+ [ -Minkey => number,]
+ [ -Compare => code reference,]
+ [ -DupCompare => code reference,]
+ [ -Prefix => code reference,]
+
+=head2 Options
+
+In addition to the standard set of options (see L<COMMON OPTIONS>)
+B<BerkeleyDB::Btree> supports these options:
+
+=over 5
+
+=item -Property
+
+Used to specify extra flags when opening a database. The following
+flags may be specified by logically OR'ing together one or more of the
+following values:
+
+B<DB_DUP>
+
+When creating a new database, this flag enables the storing of duplicate
+keys in the database. If B<DB_DUPSORT> is not specified as well, the
+duplicates are stored in the order they are created in the database.
+
+B<DB_DUPSORT>
+
+Enables the sorting of duplicate keys in the database. Ignored if
+B<DB_DUP> isn't also specified.
+
+=item Minkey
+
+TODO
+
+=item Compare
+
+Allow you to override the default sort order used in the database. See
+L<"Changing the sort order"> for an example.
+
+ sub compare
+ {
+ my ($key, $key2) = @_ ;
+ ...
+ # return 0 if $key1 eq $key2
+ # -1 if $key1 lt $key2
+ # 1 if $key1 gt $key2
+ return (-1 , 0 or 1) ;
+ }
+
+ tie %h, "BerkeleyDB::Hash",
+ -Filename => $filename,
+ -Compare => \&compare,
+ ...
+
+=item Prefix
+
+ sub prefix
+ {
+ my ($key, $key2) = @_ ;
+ ...
+ # return number of bytes of $key2 which are
+ # necessary to determine that it is greater than $key1
+ return $bytes ;
+ }
+
+ tie %h, "BerkeleyDB::Hash",
+ -Filename => $filename,
+ -Prefix => \&prefix,
+ ...
+=item DupCompare
+
+ sub compare
+ {
+ my ($key, $key2) = @_ ;
+ ...
+ # return 0 if $key1 eq $key2
+ # -1 if $key1 lt $key2
+ # 1 if $key1 gt $key2
+ return (-1 , 0 or 1) ;
+ }
+
+ tie %h, "BerkeleyDB::Hash",
+ -Filename => $filename,
+ -DupCompare => \&compare,
+ ...
+
+=back
+
+=head2 Methods
+
+B<BerkeleyDB::Btree> supports the following database methods.
+See also L<COMMON DATABASE METHODS>.
+
+All the methods below return 0 to indicate success.
+
+=over 5
+
+=item $status = $db->db_key_range($key, $less, $equal, $greater [, $flags])
+
+Given a key, C<$key>, this method returns the proportion of keys less than
+C<$key> in C<$less>, the proportion equal to C<$key> in C<$equal> and the
+proportion greater than C<$key> in C<$greater>.
+
+The proportion is returned as a double in the range 0.0 to 1.0.
+
+=back
+
+=head2 A Simple Btree Example
+
+The code below is a simple example of using a btree database.
+
+ use strict ;
+ use BerkeleyDB ;
+
+ my $filename = "tree" ;
+ unlink $filename ;
+ my %h ;
+ tie %h, 'BerkeleyDB::Btree',
+ -Filename => $filename,
+ -Flags => DB_CREATE
+ or die "Cannot open $filename: $!\n" ;
+
+ # Add a key/value pair to the file
+ $h{'Wall'} = 'Larry' ;
+ $h{'Smith'} = 'John' ;
+ $h{'mouse'} = 'mickey' ;
+ $h{'duck'} = 'donald' ;
+
+ # Delete
+ delete $h{"duck"} ;
+
+ # Cycle through the keys printing them in order.
+ # Note it is not necessary to sort the keys as
+ # the btree will have kept them in order automatically.
+ foreach (keys %h)
+ { print "$_\n" }
+
+ untie %h ;
+
+Here is the output from the code above. The keys have been sorted using
+Berkeley DB's default sorting algorithm.
+
+ Smith
+ Wall
+ mouse
+
+
+=head2 Changing the sort order
+
+It is possible to supply your own sorting algorithm if the one that Berkeley
+DB used isn't suitable. The code below is identical to the previous example
+except for the case insensitive compare function.
+
+ use strict ;
+ use BerkeleyDB ;
+
+ my $filename = "tree" ;
+ unlink $filename ;
+ my %h ;
+ tie %h, 'BerkeleyDB::Btree',
+ -Filename => $filename,
+ -Flags => DB_CREATE,
+ -Compare => sub { lc $_[0] cmp lc $_[1] }
+ or die "Cannot open $filename: $!\n" ;
+
+ # Add a key/value pair to the file
+ $h{'Wall'} = 'Larry' ;
+ $h{'Smith'} = 'John' ;
+ $h{'mouse'} = 'mickey' ;
+ $h{'duck'} = 'donald' ;
+
+ # Delete
+ delete $h{"duck"} ;
+
+ # Cycle through the keys printing them in order.
+ # Note it is not necessary to sort the keys as
+ # the btree will have kept them in order automatically.
+ foreach (keys %h)
+ { print "$_\n" }
+
+ untie %h ;
+
+Here is the output from the code above.
+
+ mouse
+ Smith
+ Wall
+
+There are a few point to bear in mind if you want to change the
+ordering in a BTREE database:
+
+=over 5
+
+=item 1.
+
+The new compare function must be specified when you create the database.
+
+=item 2.
+
+You cannot change the ordering once the database has been created. Thus
+you must use the same compare function every time you access the
+database.
+
+=back
+
+=head2 Using db_stat
+
+TODO
+
+=head1 BerkeleyDB::Recno
+
+Equivalent to calling B<db_open> with type B<DB_RECNO> in Berkeley DB 2.x and
+calling B<db_create> followed by B<DB-E<gt>open> with type B<DB_RECNO> in
+Berkeley DB 3.x or greater.
+
+Two forms of constructor are supported:
+
+ $db = new BerkeleyDB::Recno
+ [ -Filename => "filename", ]
+ [ -Subname => "sub-database name", ]
+ [ -Flags => flags,]
+ [ -Property => flags,]
+ [ -Mode => number,]
+ [ -Cachesize => number,]
+ [ -Lorder => number,]
+ [ -Pagesize => number,]
+ [ -Env => $env,]
+ [ -Txn => $txn,]
+ # BerkeleyDB::Recno specific
+ [ -Delim => byte,]
+ [ -Len => number,]
+ [ -Pad => byte,]
+ [ -Source => filename,]
+
+and this
+
+ [$db =] tie @arry, 'BerkeleyDB::Recno',
+ [ -Filename => "filename", ]
+ [ -Subname => "sub-database name", ]
+ [ -Flags => flags,]
+ [ -Property => flags,]
+ [ -Mode => number,]
+ [ -Cachesize => number,]
+ [ -Lorder => number,]
+ [ -Pagesize => number,]
+ [ -Env => $env,]
+ [ -Txn => $txn,]
+ # BerkeleyDB::Recno specific
+ [ -Delim => byte,]
+ [ -Len => number,]
+ [ -Pad => byte,]
+ [ -Source => filename,]
+
+=head2 A Recno Example
+
+Here is a simple example that uses RECNO (if you are using a version
+of Perl earlier than 5.004_57 this example won't work -- see
+L<Extra RECNO Methods> for a workaround).
+
+ use strict ;
+ use BerkeleyDB ;
+
+ my $filename = "text" ;
+ unlink $filename ;
+
+ my @h ;
+ tie @h, 'BerkeleyDB::Recno',
+ -Filename => $filename,
+ -Flags => DB_CREATE,
+ -Property => DB_RENUMBER
+ or die "Cannot open $filename: $!\n" ;
+
+ # Add a few key/value pairs to the file
+ $h[0] = "orange" ;
+ $h[1] = "blue" ;
+ $h[2] = "yellow" ;
+
+ push @h, "green", "black" ;
+
+ my $elements = scalar @h ;
+ print "The array contains $elements entries\n" ;
+
+ my $last = pop @h ;
+ print "popped $last\n" ;
+
+ unshift @h, "white" ;
+ my $first = shift @h ;
+ print "shifted $first\n" ;
+
+ # Check for existence of a key
+ print "Element 1 Exists with value $h[1]\n" if $h[1] ;
+
+ untie @h ;
+
+Here is the output from the script:
+
+ The array contains 5 entries
+ popped black
+ shifted white
+ Element 1 Exists with value blue
+ The last element is green
+ The 2nd last element is yellow
+
+=head1 BerkeleyDB::Queue
+
+Equivalent to calling B<db_create> followed by B<DB-E<gt>open> with
+type B<DB_QUEUE> in Berkeley DB 3.x or greater. This database format
+isn't available if you use Berkeley DB 2.x.
+
+Two forms of constructor are supported:
+
+ $db = new BerkeleyDB::Queue
+ [ -Filename => "filename", ]
+ [ -Subname => "sub-database name", ]
+ [ -Flags => flags,]
+ [ -Property => flags,]
+ [ -Mode => number,]
+ [ -Cachesize => number,]
+ [ -Lorder => number,]
+ [ -Pagesize => number,]
+ [ -Env => $env,]
+ [ -Txn => $txn,]
+ # BerkeleyDB::Queue specific
+ [ -Len => number,]
+ [ -Pad => byte,]
+ [ -ExtentSize => number, ]
+
+and this
+
+ [$db =] tie @arry, 'BerkeleyDB::Queue',
+ [ -Filename => "filename", ]
+ [ -Subname => "sub-database name", ]
+ [ -Flags => flags,]
+ [ -Property => flags,]
+ [ -Mode => number,]
+ [ -Cachesize => number,]
+ [ -Lorder => number,]
+ [ -Pagesize => number,]
+ [ -Env => $env,]
+ [ -Txn => $txn,]
+ # BerkeleyDB::Queue specific
+ [ -Len => number,]
+ [ -Pad => byte,]
+
+
+=head1 BerkeleyDB::Unknown
+
+This class is used to open an existing database.
+
+Equivalent to calling B<db_open> with type B<DB_UNKNOWN> in Berkeley DB 2.x and
+calling B<db_create> followed by B<DB-E<gt>open> with type B<DB_UNKNOWN> in
+Berkeley DB 3.x or greater.
+
+The constructor looks like this:
+
+ $db = new BerkeleyDB::Unknown
+ [ -Filename => "filename", ]
+ [ -Subname => "sub-database name", ]
+ [ -Flags => flags,]
+ [ -Property => flags,]
+ [ -Mode => number,]
+ [ -Cachesize => number,]
+ [ -Lorder => number,]
+ [ -Pagesize => number,]
+ [ -Env => $env,]
+ [ -Txn => $txn,]
+
+
+=head2 An example
+
+=head1 COMMON OPTIONS
+
+All database access class constructors support the common set of
+options defined below. All are optional.
+
+=over 5
+
+=item -Filename
+
+The database filename. If no filename is specified, a temporary file will
+be created and removed once the program terminates.
+
+=item -Subname
+
+Specifies the name of the sub-database to open.
+This option is only valid if you are using Berkeley DB 3.x or greater.
+
+=item -Flags
+
+Specify how the database will be opened/created. The valid flags are:
+
+B<DB_CREATE>
+
+Create any underlying files, as necessary. If the files do not already
+exist and the B<DB_CREATE> flag is not specified, the call will fail.
+
+B<DB_NOMMAP>
+
+Not supported by BerkeleyDB.
+
+B<DB_RDONLY>
+
+Opens the database in read-only mode.
+
+B<DB_THREAD>
+
+Not supported by BerkeleyDB.
+
+B<DB_TRUNCATE>
+
+If the database file already exists, remove all the data before
+opening it.
+
+=item -Mode
+
+Determines the file protection when the database is created. Defaults
+to 0666.
+
+=item -Cachesize
+
+=item -Lorder
+
+=item -Pagesize
+
+=item -Env
+
+When working under a Berkeley DB environment, this parameter
+
+Defaults to no environment.
+
+=item -Txn
+
+TODO.
+
+=back
+
+=head1 COMMON DATABASE METHODS
+
+All the database interfaces support the common set of methods defined
+below.
+
+All the methods below return 0 to indicate success.
+
+=head2 $status = $db->db_get($key, $value [, $flags])
+
+Given a key (C<$key>) this method reads the value associated with it
+from the database. If it exists, the value read from the database is
+returned in the C<$value> parameter.
+
+The B<$flags> parameter is optional. If present, it must be set to B<one>
+of the following values:
+
+=over 5
+
+=item B<DB_GET_BOTH>
+
+When the B<DB_GET_BOTH> flag is specified, B<db_get> checks for the
+existence of B<both> the C<$key> B<and> C<$value> in the database.
+
+=item B<DB_SET_RECNO>
+
+TODO.
+
+=back
+
+In addition, the following value may be set by logically OR'ing it into
+the B<$flags> parameter:
+
+=over 5
+
+=item B<DB_RMW>
+
+TODO
+
+=back
+
+
+=head2 $status = $db->db_put($key, $value [, $flags])
+
+Stores a key/value pair in the database.
+
+The B<$flags> parameter is optional. If present it must be set to B<one>
+of the following values:
+
+=over 5
+
+=item B<DB_APPEND>
+
+This flag is only applicable when accessing a B<BerkeleyDB::Recno>
+database.
+
+TODO.
+
+
+=item B<DB_NOOVERWRITE>
+
+If this flag is specified and C<$key> already exists in the database,
+the call to B<db_put> will return B<DB_KEYEXIST>.
+
+=back
+
+=head2 $status = $db->db_del($key [, $flags])
+
+Deletes a key/value pair in the database associated with C<$key>.
+If duplicate keys are enabled in the database, B<db_del> will delete
+B<all> key/value pairs with key C<$key>.
+
+The B<$flags> parameter is optional and is currently unused.
+
+=head2 $status = $db->db_sync()
+
+If any parts of the database are in memory, write them to the database.
+
+=head2 $cursor = $db->db_cursor([$flags])
+
+Creates a cursor object. This is used to access the contents of the
+database sequentially. See L<CURSORS> for details of the methods
+available when working with cursors.
+
+The B<$flags> parameter is optional. If present it must be set to B<one>
+of the following values:
+
+=over 5
+
+=item B<DB_RMW>
+
+TODO.
+
+=back
+
+=head2 ($flag, $old_offset, $old_length) = $db->partial_set($offset, $length) ;
+
+TODO
+
+=head2 ($flag, $old_offset, $old_length) = $db->partial_clear() ;
+
+TODO
+
+=head2 $db->byteswapped()
+
+TODO
+
+=head2 $db->type()
+
+Returns the type of the database. The possible return code are B<DB_HASH>
+for a B<BerkeleyDB::Hash> database, B<DB_BTREE> for a B<BerkeleyDB::Btree>
+database and B<DB_RECNO> for a B<BerkeleyDB::Recno> database. This method
+is typically used when a database has been opened with
+B<BerkeleyDB::Unknown>.
+
+=item $ref = $db->db_stat()
+
+Returns a reference to an associative array containing information about
+the database. The keys of the associative array correspond directly to the
+names of the fields defined in the Berkeley DB documentation. For example,
+in the DB documentation, the field B<bt_version> stores the version of the
+Btree database. Assuming you called B<db_stat> on a Btree database the
+equivalent field would be accessed as follows:
+
+ $version = $ref->{'bt_version'} ;
+
+If you are using Berkeley DB 3.x or better, this method will work will
+all database formats. When DB 2.x is used, it only works with
+B<BerkeleyDB::Btree>.
+
+=head2 $status = $db->status()
+
+Returns the status of the last C<$db> method called.
+
+=head2 $status = $db->truncate($count)
+
+Truncates the datatabase and returns the number or records deleted
+in C<$count>.
+
+=head1 CURSORS
+
+A cursor is used whenever you want to access the contents of a database
+in sequential order.
+A cursor object is created with the C<db_cursor>
+
+A cursor object has the following methods available:
+
+=head2 $newcursor = $cursor->c_dup($flags)
+
+Creates a duplicate of C<$cursor>. This method needs Berkeley DB 3.0.x or better.
+
+The C<$flags> parameter is optional and can take the following value:
+
+=over 5
+
+=item DB_POSITION
+
+When present this flag will position the new cursor at the same place as the
+existing cursor.
+
+=back
+
+=head2 $status = $cursor->c_get($key, $value, $flags)
+
+Reads a key/value pair from the database, returning the data in C<$key>
+and C<$value>. The key/value pair actually read is controlled by the
+C<$flags> parameter, which can take B<one> of the following values:
+
+=over 5
+
+=item B<DB_FIRST>
+
+Set the cursor to point to the first key/value pair in the
+database. Return the key/value pair in C<$key> and C<$value>.
+
+=item B<DB_LAST>
+
+Set the cursor to point to the last key/value pair in the database. Return
+the key/value pair in C<$key> and C<$value>.
+
+=item B<DB_NEXT>
+
+If the cursor is already pointing to a key/value pair, it will be
+incremented to point to the next key/value pair and return its contents.
+
+If the cursor isn't initialised, B<DB_NEXT> works just like B<DB_FIRST>.
+
+If the cursor is already positioned at the last key/value pair, B<c_get>
+will return B<DB_NOTFOUND>.
+
+=item B<DB_NEXT_DUP>
+
+This flag is only valid when duplicate keys have been enabled in
+a database.
+If the cursor is already pointing to a key/value pair and the key of
+the next key/value pair is identical, the cursor will be incremented to
+point to it and their contents returned.
+
+=item B<DB_PREV>
+
+If the cursor is already pointing to a key/value pair, it will be
+decremented to point to the previous key/value pair and return its
+contents.
+
+If the cursor isn't initialised, B<DB_PREV> works just like B<DB_LAST>.
+
+If the cursor is already positioned at the first key/value pair, B<c_get>
+will return B<DB_NOTFOUND>.
+
+=item B<DB_CURRENT>
+
+If the cursor has been set to point to a key/value pair, return their
+contents.
+If the key/value pair referenced by the cursor has been deleted, B<c_get>
+will return B<DB_KEYEMPTY>.
+
+=item B<DB_SET>
+
+Set the cursor to point to the key/value pair referenced by B<$key>
+and return the value in B<$value>.
+
+=item B<DB_SET_RANGE>
+
+This flag is a variation on the B<DB_SET> flag. As well as returning
+the value, it also returns the key, via B<$key>.
+When used with a B<BerkeleyDB::Btree> database the key matched by B<c_get>
+will be the shortest key (in length) which is greater than or equal to
+the key supplied, via B<$key>. This allows partial key searches.
+See ??? for an example of how to use this flag.
+
+=item B<DB_GET_BOTH>
+
+Another variation on B<DB_SET>. This one returns both the key and
+the value.
+
+=item B<DB_SET_RECNO>
+
+TODO.
+
+=item B<DB_GET_RECNO>
+
+TODO.
+
+=back
+
+In addition, the following value may be set by logically OR'ing it into
+the B<$flags> parameter:
+
+=over 5
+
+=item B<DB_RMW>
+
+TODO.
+
+=back
+
+=head2 $status = $cursor->c_put($key, $value, $flags)
+
+Stores the key/value pair in the database. The position that the data is
+stored in the database is controlled by the C<$flags> parameter, which
+must take B<one> of the following values:
+
+=over 5
+
+=item B<DB_AFTER>
+
+When used with a Btree or Hash database, a duplicate of the key referenced
+by the current cursor position will be created and the contents of
+B<$value> will be associated with it - B<$key> is ignored.
+The new key/value pair will be stored immediately after the current
+cursor position.
+Obviously the database has to have been opened with B<DB_DUP>.
+
+When used with a Recno ... TODO
+
+
+=item B<DB_BEFORE>
+
+When used with a Btree or Hash database, a duplicate of the key referenced
+by the current cursor position will be created and the contents of
+B<$value> will be associated with it - B<$key> is ignored.
+The new key/value pair will be stored immediately before the current
+cursor position.
+Obviously the database has to have been opened with B<DB_DUP>.
+
+When used with a Recno ... TODO
+
+=item B<DB_CURRENT>
+
+If the cursor has been initialised, replace the value of the key/value
+pair stored in the database with the contents of B<$value>.
+
+=item B<DB_KEYFIRST>
+
+Only valid with a Btree or Hash database. This flag is only really
+used when duplicates are enabled in the database and sorted duplicates
+haven't been specified.
+In this case the key/value pair will be inserted as the first entry in
+the duplicates for the particular key.
+
+=item B<DB_KEYLAST>
+
+Only valid with a Btree or Hash database. This flag is only really
+used when duplicates are enabled in the database and sorted duplicates
+haven't been specified.
+In this case the key/value pair will be inserted as the last entry in
+the duplicates for the particular key.
+
+=back
+
+=head2 $status = $cursor->c_del([$flags])
+
+This method deletes the key/value pair associated with the current cursor
+position. The cursor position will not be changed by this operation, so
+any subsequent cursor operation must first initialise the cursor to
+point to a valid key/value pair.
+
+If the key/value pair associated with the cursor have already been
+deleted, B<c_del> will return B<DB_KEYEMPTY>.
+
+The B<$flags> parameter is not used at present.
+
+=head2 $status = $cursor->c_del($cnt [, $flags])
+
+Stores the number of duplicates at the current cursor position in B<$cnt>.
+
+The B<$flags> parameter is not used at present. This method needs
+Berkeley DB 3.1 or better.
+
+=head2 $status = $cursor->status()
+
+Returns the status of the last cursor method as a dual type.
+
+=head2 Cursor Examples
+
+TODO
+
+Iterating from first to last, then in reverse.
+
+examples of each of the flags.
+
+=head1 JOIN
+
+Join support for BerkeleyDB is in progress. Watch this space.
+
+TODO
+
+=head1 TRANSACTIONS
+
+TODO.
+
+=head1 DBM Filters
+
+A DBM Filter is a piece of code that is be used when you I<always>
+want to make the same transformation to all keys and/or values in a DBM
+database. All of the database classes (BerkeleyDB::Hash,
+BerkeleyDB::Btree and BerkeleyDB::Recno) support DBM Filters.
+
+There are four methods associated with DBM Filters. All work
+identically, and each is used to install (or uninstall) a single DBM
+Filter. Each expects a single parameter, namely a reference to a sub.
+The only difference between them is the place that the filter is
+installed.
+
+To summarise:
+
+=over 5
+
+=item B<filter_store_key>
+
+If a filter has been installed with this method, it will be invoked
+every time you write a key to a DBM database.
+
+=item B<filter_store_value>
+
+If a filter has been installed with this method, it will be invoked
+every time you write a value to a DBM database.
+
+
+=item B<filter_fetch_key>
+
+If a filter has been installed with this method, it will be invoked
+every time you read a key from a DBM database.
+
+=item B<filter_fetch_value>
+
+If a filter has been installed with this method, it will be invoked
+every time you read a value from a DBM database.
+
+=back
+
+You can use any combination of the methods, from none, to all four.
+
+All filter methods return the existing filter, if present, or C<undef>
+in not.
+
+To delete a filter pass C<undef> to it.
+
+=head2 The Filter
+
+When each filter is called by Perl, a local copy of C<$_> will contain
+the key or value to be filtered. Filtering is achieved by modifying
+the contents of C<$_>. The return code from the filter is ignored.
+
+=head2 An Example -- the NULL termination problem.
+
+Consider the following scenario. You have a DBM database that you need
+to share with a third-party C application. The C application assumes
+that I<all> keys and values are NULL terminated. Unfortunately when
+Perl writes to DBM databases it doesn't use NULL termination, so your
+Perl application will have to manage NULL termination itself. When you
+write to the database you will have to use something like this:
+
+ $hash{"$key\0"} = "$value\0" ;
+
+Similarly the NULL needs to be taken into account when you are considering
+the length of existing keys/values.
+
+It would be much better if you could ignore the NULL terminations issue
+in the main application code and have a mechanism that automatically
+added the terminating NULL to all keys and values whenever you write to
+the database and have them removed when you read from the database. As I'm
+sure you have already guessed, this is a problem that DBM Filters can
+fix very easily.
+
+ use strict ;
+ use BerkeleyDB ;
+
+ my %hash ;
+ my $filename = "filt.db" ;
+ unlink $filename ;
+
+ my $db = tie %hash, 'BerkeleyDB::Hash',
+ -Filename => $filename,
+ -Flags => DB_CREATE
+ or die "Cannot open $filename: $!\n" ;
+
+ # Install DBM Filters
+ $db->filter_fetch_key ( sub { s/\0$// } ) ;
+ $db->filter_store_key ( sub { $_ .= "\0" } ) ;
+ $db->filter_fetch_value( sub { s/\0$// } ) ;
+ $db->filter_store_value( sub { $_ .= "\0" } ) ;
+
+ $hash{"abc"} = "def" ;
+ my $a = $hash{"ABC"} ;
+ # ...
+ undef $db ;
+ untie %hash ;
+
+Hopefully the contents of each of the filters should be
+self-explanatory. Both "fetch" filters remove the terminating NULL,
+and both "store" filters add a terminating NULL.
+
+
+=head2 Another Example -- Key is a C int.
+
+Here is another real-life example. By default, whenever Perl writes to
+a DBM database it always writes the key and value as strings. So when
+you use this:
+
+ $hash{12345} = "something" ;
+
+the key 12345 will get stored in the DBM database as the 5 byte string
+"12345". If you actually want the key to be stored in the DBM database
+as a C int, you will have to use C<pack> when writing, and C<unpack>
+when reading.
+
+Here is a DBM Filter that does it:
+
+ use strict ;
+ use BerkeleyDB ;
+ my %hash ;
+ my $filename = "filt.db" ;
+ unlink $filename ;
+
+
+ my $db = tie %hash, 'BerkeleyDB::Btree',
+ -Filename => $filename,
+ -Flags => DB_CREATE
+ or die "Cannot open $filename: $!\n" ;
+
+ $db->filter_fetch_key ( sub { $_ = unpack("i", $_) } ) ;
+ $db->filter_store_key ( sub { $_ = pack ("i", $_) } ) ;
+ $hash{123} = "def" ;
+ # ...
+ undef $db ;
+ untie %hash ;
+
+This time only two filters have been used -- we only need to manipulate
+the contents of the key, so it wasn't necessary to install any value
+filters.
+
+=head1 Using BerkeleyDB with MLDBM
+
+Both BerkeleyDB::Hash and BerkeleyDB::Btree can be used with the MLDBM
+module. The code fragment below shows how to open associate MLDBM with
+BerkeleyDB::Btree. To use BerkeleyDB::Hash just replace
+BerkeleyDB::Btree with BerkeleyDB::Hash.
+
+ use strict ;
+ use BerkeleyDB ;
+ use MLDBM qw(BerkeleyDB::Btree) ;
+ use Data::Dumper;
+
+ my $filename = 'testmldbm' ;
+ my %o ;
+
+ unlink $filename ;
+ tie %o, 'MLDBM', -Filename => $filename,
+ -Flags => DB_CREATE
+ or die "Cannot open database '$filename: $!\n";
+
+See the MLDBM documentation for information on how to use the module
+and for details of its limitations.
+
+=head1 EXAMPLES
+
+TODO.
+
+=head1 HINTS & TIPS
+
+=head2 Sharing Databases With C Applications
+
+There is no technical reason why a Berkeley DB database cannot be
+shared by both a Perl and a C application.
+
+The vast majority of problems that are reported in this area boil down
+to the fact that C strings are NULL terminated, whilst Perl strings
+are not. See L<An Example -- the NULL termination problem.> in the DBM
+FILTERS section for a generic way to work around this problem.
+
+
+=head2 The untie Gotcha
+
+TODO
+
+=head1 COMMON QUESTIONS
+
+This section attempts to answer some of the more common questions that
+I get asked.
+
+
+=head2 Relationship with DB_File
+
+Before Berkeley DB 2.x was written there was only one Perl module that
+interfaced to Berkeley DB. That module is called B<DB_File>. Although
+B<DB_File> can be build with Berkeley DB 1.x, 2.x, 3.x or 4.x, it only provides
+an interface to the functionality available in Berkeley DB 1.x. That
+means that it doesn't support transactions, locking or any of the other
+new features available in DB 2.x or better.
+
+=head2 How do I store Perl data structures with BerkeleyDB?
+
+See L<Using BerkeleyDB with MLDBM>.
+
+=head1 HISTORY
+
+See the Changes file.
+
+=head1 AVAILABILITY
+
+The most recent version of B<BerkeleyDB> can always be found
+on CPAN (see L<perlmod/CPAN> for details), in the directory
+F<modules/by-module/BerkeleyDB>.
+
+The official web site for Berkeley DB is F<http://www.sleepycat.com>.
+
+=head1 COPYRIGHT
+
+Copyright (c) 1997-2002 Paul Marquess. All rights reserved. This program
+is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the
+same terms as Perl itself.
+
+Although B<BerkeleyDB> is covered by the Perl license, the library it
+makes use of, namely Berkeley DB, is not. Berkeley DB has its own
+copyright and its own license. Please take the time to read it.
+
+Here are few words taken from the Berkeley DB FAQ (at
+F<http://www.sleepycat.com>) regarding the license:
+
+ Do I have to license DB to use it in Perl scripts?
+
+ No. The Berkeley DB license requires that software that uses
+ Berkeley DB be freely redistributable. In the case of Perl, that
+ software is Perl, and not your scripts. Any Perl scripts that you
+ write are your property, including scripts that make use of Berkeley
+ DB. Neither the Perl license nor the Berkeley DB license
+ place any restriction on what you may do with them.
+
+If you are in any doubt about the license situation, contact either the
+Berkeley DB authors or the author of BerkeleyDB.
+See L<"AUTHOR"> for details.
+
+
+=head1 AUTHOR
+
+Paul Marquess E<lt>Paul.Marquess@btinternet.comE<gt>.
+
+Questions about Berkeley DB may be addressed to E<lt>db@sleepycat.comE<gt>.
+
+=head1 SEE ALSO
+
+perl(1), DB_File, Berkeley DB.
+
+=cut