SYNOPSIS

        use base 'Class::DBI';
        use Class::DBI::Plugin::RetrieveAll;

        my @by_date = My::Class->retrieve_all_sorted_by("date");

        # or

        _\|_PACKAGE_\|_->retrieve_all_sort_field('date');

        my @by_date = My::Class->retrieve_all;

DESCRIPTION

This is a simple plugin to a Class::DBI subclass that allows for simple sorting of the results of a retrieve_all().

There are two main ways to use this.

Firstly, we create a new method 'retrieve_all_sorted_by' which takes an argument of how to sort.

We also add a method for 'retrieve_all_sort_field' that sets a default field that any retrieve_all() will use for sorting.

METHODS

retrieve_all_sorted_by

my @by_date = My::Class->retrieve_all_sorted_by("date");

This method will be exported into the calling class, and allows for retrieving all the objects of the class, sorted by the given column.

The argument given will be passed straight through to the database 'as is', and is not checked in any way, so an error here will usually in an error from the database, rather than Class::DBI itself.

This makes it possible to pass more complex \s-1ORDER\s0 \s-1BY\s0 clauses through:

my @by_date = My::Class->retrieve_all_sorted_by("date DESC, reference_no");

retrieve_all_sort_field

_\|_PACKAGE_\|_->retrieve_all_sort_field('date');

This method changes the default retrieve_all() in the Class to be auto-sorted by the field given. Again this will be passed through directly, so you can have complex \s-1ORDER\s0 \s-1BY\s0 clauses.

AUTHOR

Tony Bowden

BUGS and QUERIES

Please direct all correspondence regarding this module to:

  [email protected]

COPYRIGHT and LICENSE

Copyright (C) 2004-2006 Kasei. All rights reserved.

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