Net::NNTP - NNTP Client class
SYNOPSIS
use Net::NNTP;
$nntp = Net::NNTP->new("some.host.name");
$nntp->quit;
DESCRIPTION
Net::NNTP is a class implementing a simple NNTP client in
Perl as described in RFC977. Net::NNTP inherits its
communication methods from Net::Cmd
CONSTRUCTOR
new ( [ HOST ] [, OPTIONS ])
This is the constructor for a new Net::NNTP object.
HOST is the name of the remote host to which a NNTP
connection is required. If not given two environment
variables are checked, first NNTPSERVER then NEWSHOST,
then Net::Config is checked, and if a host is not
found then news is used.
OPTIONS are passed in a hash like fashion, using key
and value pairs. Possible options are:
Timeout - Maximum time, in seconds, to wait for a
response from the NNTP server, a value of zero will
cause all IO operations to block. (default: 120)
Debug - Enable the printing of debugging information
to STDERR
METHODS
Unless otherwise stated all methods return either a true
or false value, with true meaning that the operation was a
success. When a method states that it returns a value,
failure will be returned as undef or an empty list.
article ( [ MSGID|MSGNUM ] )
Retrieve the header, a blank line, then the body
(text) of the specified article.
If no arguments are passed then the current article in
the current newsgroup is returned.
MSGNUM is a numeric id of an article in the current
newsgroup, and will change the current article
pointer. MSGID is the message id of an article as
shown in that article's header. It is anticipated
that the client will obtain the MSGID from a list
provided by the newnews command, from references
Returns a reference to an array containing the
article.
body ( [ MSGID|MSGNUM ] )
Retrieve the body (text) of the specified article.
Takes the same arguments as article
Returns a reference to an array containing the body of
the article.
head ( [ MSGID|MSGNUM ] )
Retrieve the header of the specified article.
Takes the same arguments as article
Returns a reference to an array containing the header
of the article.
nntpstat ( [ MSGID|MSGNUM ] )
The nntpstat command is similar to the article command
except that no text is returned. When selecting by
message number within a group, the nntpstat command
serves to set the "current article pointer" without
sending text.
Using the nntpstat command to select by message-id is
valid but of questionable value, since a selection by
message-id does not alter the "current article
pointer".
Returns the message-id of the "current article".
group ( [ GROUP ] )
Set and/or get the current group. If GROUP is not
given then information is returned on the current
group.
In a scalar context it returns the group name.
In an array context the return value is a list
containing, the number of articles in the group, the
number of the first article, the number of the last
article and the group name.
ihave ( MSGID [, MESSAGE ])
The ihave command informs the server that the client
has an article whose id is MSGID. If the server
desires a copy of that article, and MESSAGE has been
given the it will be sent.
If MESSAGE is not specified then the message must be
sent using the datasend and dataend methods from the
Net::Cmd manpage
MESSAGE can be either an array of lines or a reference
to an array.
last ()
Set the "current article pointer" to the previous
article in the current newsgroup.
Returns the message-id of the article.
date ()
Returns the date on the remote server. This date will
be in a UNIX time format (seconds since 1970)
postok ()
postok will return true if the servers initial
response indicated that it will allow posting.
authinfo ( USER, PASS )
list ()
Obtain information about all the active newsgroups.
The results is a reference to a hash where the key is
a group name and each value is a reference to an
array. The elements in this array are:- the first
article number in the group, the last article number
in the group and any information flags about the
group.
newgroups ( SINCE [, DISTRIBUTIONS ])
SINCE is a time value and DISTRIBUTIONS is either a
distribution pattern or a reference to a list of
distribution patterns. The result is the same as
list, but the groups return will be limited to those
created after SINCE and, if specified, in one of the
distribution areas in DISTRIBUTIONS.
newnews ( SINCE [, GROUPS [, DISTRIBUTIONS ]])
SINCE is a time value. GROUPS is either a group
pattern or a reference to a list of group patterns.
DISTRIBUTIONS is either a distribution pattern or a
reference to a list of distribution patterns.
Returns a reference to a list which contains the
message-ids of all news posted after SINCE, that are
in a groups which matched GROUPS and a distribution
which matches DISTRIBUTIONS.
Set the "current article pointer" to the next article
in the current newsgroup.
Returns the message-id of the article.
post ( [ MESSAGE ] )
Post a new article to the news server. If MESSAGE is
specified and posting is allowed then the message will
be sent.
If MESSAGE is not specified then the message must be
sent using the datasend and dataend methods from the
Net::Cmd manpage
MESSAGE can be either an array of lines or a reference
to an array.
slave ()
Tell the remote server that I am not a user client,
but probably another news server.
quit ()
Quit the remote server and close the socket
connection.
Extension methods
These methods use commands that are not part of the RFC977
documentation. Some servers may not support all of them.
newsgroups ( [ PATTERN ] )
Returns a reference to a hash where the keys are all
the group names which match PATTERN, or all of the
groups if no pattern is specified, and each value
contains the description text for the group.
distributions ()
Returns a reference to a hash where the keys are all
the possible distribution names and the values are the
distribution descriptions.
subscriptions ()
Returns a reference to a list which contains a list of
groups which are recommended for a new user to
subscribe to.
overview_fmt ()
Returns a reference to an array which contain the
names of the fields returned by xover.
active_times ()
Returns a reference to a hash where the keys are the
identifier, possibly an Email address, of the creator.
active ( [ PATTERN ] )
Similar to list but only active groups that match the
pattern are returned. PATTERN can be a group pattern.
xgtitle ( PATTERN )
Returns a reference to a hash where the keys are all
the group names which match PATTERN and each value is
the description text for the group.
xhdr ( HEADER, MESSAGE-SPEC )
Obtain the header field HEADER for all the messages
specified.
The return value will be a reference to a hash where
the keys are the message numbers and each value
contains the text of the requested header for that
message.
xover ( MESSAGE-SPEC )
The return value will be a reference to a hash where
the keys are the message numbers and each value
contains a reference to an array which contains the
overview fields for that message.
The names of the fields can be obtained by calling
overview_fmt.
xpath ( MESSAGE-ID )
Returns the path name to the file on the server which
contains the specified message.
xpat ( HEADER, PATTERN, MESSAGE-SPEC)
The result is the same as xhdr except the is will be
restricted to headers where the text of the header
matches PATTERN
xrover
The XROVER command returns reference information for
the article(s) specified.
Returns a reference to a HASH where the keys are the
message numbers and the values are the References:
lines from the articles
listgroup ( [ GROUP ] )
Returns a reference to a list of all the active
messages in GROUP, or the current group if GROUP is
not specified.
reader
This is required by some servers. For example if you
are connecting to an INN server and you have transfer
permission your connection will be connected to the
transfer daemon, not the NNTP daemon. Issuing this
command will cause the transfer daemon to hand over
control to the NNTP daemon.
Some servers do not understand this command, but
issuing it and ignoring the response is harmless.
UNSUPPORTED
The following NNTP command are unsupported by the package,
and there are no plans to do so.
AUTHINFO GENERIC
XTHREAD
XSEARCH
XINDEX
DEFINITIONS
MESSAGE-SPEC
MESSAGE-SPEC is either a single message-id, a single
message number, or a reference to a list of two
message numbers.
If MESSAGE-SPEC is a reference to a list of two
message numbers and the second number in a range is
less than or equal to the first then the range
represents all messages in the group after the first
message number.
NOTE For compatibility reasons only with earlier
versions of Net::NNTP a message spec can be passed as
a list of two numbers, this is depreciated and a
reference to the list should now be passed
PATTERN
The NNTP protocol uses the WILDMAT format for
patterns. The WILDMAT format was first developed by
Rich Salz based on the format used in the UNIX "find"
command to articulate file names. It was developed to
provide a uniform mechanism for matching patterns in
the same manner that the UNIX shell matches filenames.
Patterns are implicitly anchored at the beginning and
end of each string when testing for a match.
There are five pattern matching operations other than
a strict one-to-one match between the pattern and the
source to be checked for a match.
zero or more characters.
The second is a question mark ? to match any single
character. The third specifies a specific set of
characters.
The set is specified as a list of characters, or as a
range of characters where the beginning and end of the
range are separated by a minus (or dash) character, or
as any combination of lists and ranges. The dash can
also be included in the set as a character it if is
the beginning or end of the set. This set is enclosed
in square brackets. The close square bracket ] may be
used in a set if it is the first character in the set.
The fourth operation is the same as the logical not of
the third operation and is specified the same way as
the third with the addition of a caret character ^ at
the beginning of the test string just inside the open
square bracket.
The final operation uses the backslash character to
invalidate the special meaning of the a open square
bracket [, the asterisk, backslash or the question
mark. Two backslashes in sequence will result in the
evaluation of the backslash as a character with no
special meaning.
Examples
[^]-] matches any single character other than a close
square bracket or a minus sign/dash.
*bdc matches any string that ends with the string "bdc"
including the string "bdc" (without quotes).
[0-9a-zA-Z]
matches any single printable alphanumeric ASCII
character.
a??d matches any four character string which begins
with a and ends with d.
SEE ALSO
the Net::Cmd manpage
AUTHOR
Graham Barr <gbarr@pobox.com>
COPYRIGHT
Copyright (c) 1995-1997 Graham Barr. All rights reserved.
This program is free software; you can redistribute it