NAME
    Debian::Copyright - manage Debian copyright files

VERSION
    This document describes Debian::Copyright version 0.2 .

SYNOPSIS
        my $c = Debian::Copyright->new();       # construct a new
        $c->read($file1);                       # parse debian copyright file
        $c->read($file2);                       # parse a second
        $c->write($ofile);                      # write to file

DESCRIPTION
    Debian::Copyright can be used for the representation, manipulation and
    merging of Debian copyright files in an object-oriented way. It provides
    easy reading and writing of the debian/copyright file found in Debian
    source packages. Debian has recently started standardising its copyright
    files around the machine-readable DEP-5/Format:
    http://www.debian.org/doc/packaging-manuals/copyright-format/1.0/
    format.

  note on terminology
    The term "Stanza" derives from the dh-make-perl tool. The official term
    would now be "Paragraph". For the purposes of discussing the DEP-5
    format the terms are used interchangeably in this documentation.

FIELDS
  header
    An instance of Debian::Copyright::Stanza::Header class. Contains the the
    first stanza of the copyright file. If multiple files were parsed only
    the first will be retained.

  files
    A hash reference (actually Tie::IxHash instance) with keys being the
    values of the `Files' clause and values instances of
    Debian::Copyright::Stanza::Files class.

  licenses
    A hash reference (actually Tie::IxHash instance) with keys being the
    values of the `License' clause and values instances of
    Debian::Copyright::Stanza::License class.

CONSTRUCTOR
  new
    Constructs a new Debian::Copyright instance.

    The `header' field is initialised with an empty string. The
    `files_block' and `license_block' fields are initialised with an empty
    instance of Tie::IxHash.

METHODS
  read *file*
    Parse debian and accessors.

    *file* can be either a file name, an opened file handle or a string
    scalar reference.

  write *file*
    Writes a debian/copyright-like file in *file* with the contents defined
    in the accessor fields.

    *file* can be either a file name, an opened file handle or a string
    scalar reference.

LIMITATIONS
    This module is written with one particular version of DEP-5 in mind.
    Furthermore version 0.1 of this software was for a draft version the
    standard. The changes in going from draft to standard were such that it
    was not worth attempting to maintain backwards compatibility.
    Test coverage is not yet complete.

INCOMPATIBILITIES
    This version is not backwards compatible with version 0.1.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
    Thanks to Charles Plessy for various comments regarding the
    documentation.

COPYRIGHT & LICENSE
    Copyright (C) 2011-2012 Nicholas Bamber nicholas@periapt.co.uk

    This module was adapted from Debian::Control. Copyright (C) 2009 Damyan
    Ivanov dmn@debian.org [Portions]

    This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
    under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 as published
    by the Free Software Foundation.

    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.