NAME
    Class::DBI::mysql - Extensions to Class::DBI for MySQL

SYNOPSIS
      package Film;
      use base 'Class::DBI::mysql';
      __PACKAGE__->set_db('Main', 'dbi:mysql:dbname', 'user', 'password');
      __PACKAGE__->set_up_table("film");

      __PACKAGE__->autoinflate(dates => 'Time::Piece');

      # Somewhere else ...

      my $type = $class->column_type('column_name');
      my @allowed = $class->enum_vals('column_name');

      my $tonights_viewing  = Film->retrieve_random;

DESCRIPTION
    This is an extension to Class::DBI, containing several functions and
    optimisations for the MySQL database. Instead of setting Class::DBI as
    your base class, use this instead.

METHODS
  set_up_table
            __PACKAGE__->set_up_table("table_name");

    Traditionally, to use Class::DBI, you have to set up the columns:

            __PACKAGE__->columns(All => qw/list of columns/);
            __PACKAGE__->columns(Primary => 'column_name');

    Whilst this allows for more flexibility if you're going to arrange your
    columns into a variety of groupings, sometimes you just want to create
    the 'all columns' list. Well, this information is really simple to
    extract from MySQL itself, so why not just use that?

    This call will extract the list of all the columns, and the primary key
    and set them up for you. It will die horribly if the table contains no
    primary key, or has a composite primary key.

  autoinflate
      __PACKAGE__->autoinflate(column_type => 'Inflation::Class');

      __PACKAGE__->autoinflate(timestamp => 'Time::Piece');
      __PACKAGE__->autoinflate(dates => 'Time::Piece');

    This will automatically set up has_a() relationships for all columns of
    the specified type to the given class.

    We currently assume that all classess passed will be able to inflate and
    deflate without needing extra has_a arguments, with the example of
    Time::Piece objects, which we deal with using Time::Piece::mysql (which
    you'll have to have installed!).

    The special type 'dates' will autoinflate all columns of type date,
    datetime or timestamp.

  create_table
            $class->create_table(q{
                    name    VARCHAR(40)     NOT NULL PRIMARY KEY,
                    rank    VARCHAR(20)     NOT NULL DEFAULT 'Private',
                    serial  INTEGER         NOT NULL
            });

    This creates the table for the class, with the given schema. If the
    table already exists we do nothing.

    A typical use would be:

            Music::CD->table('cd');
            Music::CD->create_table(q{
              cdid   MEDIUMINT UNSIGNED NOT NULL PRIMARY KEY AUTO_INCREMENT,
              artist MEDIUMINT UNSIGNED NOT NULL,
                    title  VARCHAR(255),
                    year   YEAR,
                    INDEX (artist),
                    INDEX (title)
            });
            Music::CD->set_up_table;

  drop_table
            $class->drop_table;

    Drops the table for this class, if it exists.

  column_type
            my $type = $class->column_type('column_name');

    This returns the 'type' of this table (VARCHAR(20), BIGINT, etc.)

  enum_vals
            my @allowed = $class->enum_vals('column_name');

    This returns a list of the allowable values for an ENUM column.

  retrieve_random
            my $film = Film->retrieve_random;

    This will select a random row from the database, and return you the
    relevant object.

    (MySQL 3.23 and higher only, at this point)

SEE ALSO
    Class::DBI. MySQL (http://www.mysql.com/)

AUTHOR
    Tony Bowden

BUGS and QUERIES
    Please direct all correspondence regarding this module to:
    bug-Class-DBI-mysql@rt.cpan.org

COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE
      Copyright (C) 2001-2005 Tony Bowden.

      This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
      the terms of the GNU General Public License; either version 2 of the License,
      or (at your option) any later version.

      This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
      ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS
      FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.