NAME
    Data::Validate::URI - common url validation methods

SYNOPSIS
      use Data::Validate::URI qw(is_uri);
  
      if(is_uri($suspect)){
            print "Looks like an URI\n";
      } else {
            print "Not a URI\n";
      }

      # or as an object
      my $v = Data::Validate::URI->new();
  
      die "not a URI" unless ($v->is_uri('foo'));

DESCRIPTION
    This module collects common URI validation routines to make input
    validation, and untainting easier and more readable.

    All functions return an untainted value if the test passes, and undef if
    it fails. This means that you should always check for a defined status
    explicitly. Don't assume the return will be true.

    The value to test is always the first (and often only) argument.

    There are a number of other URI validation modules out there as well
    (see below.) This one focuses on being fast, lightweight, and relatively
    'real-world'. i.e. it's good if you want to check user input, and don't
    need to parse out the URI/URL into chunks.

    Right now the module focuses on HTTP URIs, since they're arguably the
    most common. If you have a specialized scheme you'd like to have
    supported, let me know.

FUNCTIONS
    new - constructor for OO usage
          new();

        *Description*
            Returns a Data::Validator::URI object. This lets you access all
            the validator function calls as methods without importing them
            into your namespace or using the clumsy
            Data::Validate::URI::function_name() format.

        *Arguments*
            None

        *Returns*
            Returns a Data::Validate::URI object

    is_uri - is the value a well-formed uri?
          is_uri($value);

        *Description*
            Returns the untainted URI if the test value appears to be
            well-formed. Note that you may really want one of the more
            practical methods like is_http_uri or is_https_uri, since the
            URI standard (RFC 3986) allows a lot of things you probably
            don't want.

        *Arguments*

            $value
                The potential URI to test.

        *Returns*
            Returns the untainted URI on success, undef on failure.

        *Notes, Exceptions, & Bugs*
            This function does not make any attempt to check whether the URI
            is accessible or 'makes sense' in any meaningful way. It just
            checks that it is formatted correctly.

    is_http_uri - is the value a well-formed HTTP uri?
          is_http_uri($value);

        *Description*
            Specialized version of is_uri() that only likes http:// urls. As
            a result, it can also do a much more thorough job validating.
            Also, unlike is_uri() it is more concerned with only allowing
            real-world URIs through. Things like relative hostnames are
            allowed by the standards, but probably aren't wise. Conversely,
            null paths aren't allowed per RFC 2616 (should be '/' instead),
            but are allowed by this function.

            This function only works for fully-qualified URIs. /bob.html
            won't work. See RFC 3986 for the appropriate method to turn a
            relative URI into an absolute one given its context.

            Returns the untainted URI if the test value appears to be
            well-formed.

            Note that you probably want to either call this in combo with
            is_https_uri(). i.e.

            print "Good" if(is_http_uri($uri) || is_https_uri($uri));

            or use the convenience method is_web_uri which is equivalent.

        *Arguments*

            $value
                The potential URI to test.

        *Returns*
            Returns the untainted URI on success, undef on failure.

        *Notes, Exceptions, & Bugs*
            This function does not make any attempt to check whether the URI
            is accessible or 'makes sense' in any meaningful way. It just
            checks that it is formatted correctly.

    is_https_uri - is the value a well-formed HTTPS uri?
          is_https_uri($value);

        *Description*
            See is_http_uri() for details. This version only likes the https
            URI scheme. Otherwise it's identical to is_http_uri()

        *Arguments*

            $value
                The potential URI to test.

        *Returns*
            Returns the untainted URI on success, undef on failure.

        *Notes, Exceptions, & Bugs*
            This function does not make any attempt to check whether the URI
            is accessible or 'makes sense' in any meaningful way. It just
            checks that it is formatted correctly.

    is_web_uri - is the value a well-formed HTTP or HTTPS uri?
          is_web_uri($value);

        *Description*
            This is just a convinience method that combines is_http_uri and
            is_https_uri to accept most common real-world URLs.

        *Arguments*

            $value
                The potential URI to test.

        *Returns*
            Returns the untainted URI on success, undef on failure.

        *Notes, Exceptions, & Bugs*
            This function does not make any attempt to check whether the URI
            is accessible or 'makes sense' in any meaningful way. It just
            checks that it is formatted correctly.

SEE ALSO
    URI, RFC 3986

AUTHOR
    Richard Sonnen <sonnen@richardsonnen.com>.

COPYRIGHT
    Copyright (c) 2005 Richard Sonnen. All rights reserved.

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

