+# take an arg as an array list and print it
+sub parray
+{
+ my $ref = shift;
+ return join(', ', @{$ref});
+}
+
+# take the arg as an array reference and print as a list of pairs
+sub parraypairs
+{
+ my $ref = shift;
+ my $i;
+ my $out;
+
+ for ($i = 0; $i < @$ref; $i += 2) {
+ my $r1 = @$ref[$i];
+ my $r2 = @$ref[$i+1];
+ $out .= "$r1-$r2, ";
+ }
+ chop $out; # remove last space
+ chop $out; # remove last comma
+ return $out;
+}
+
+# print all the fields for a record according to privilege
+#
+# The prompt record is of the format '<priv>,<prompt>[,<action>'
+# and is expanded by promptf above
+#
+sub print_all_fields
+{
+ my $self = shift; # is a dxchan
+ my $ref = shift; # is a thingy with field_prompt and fields methods defined
+ my @out;
+ my @fields = $ref->fields;
+ my $field;
+
+ foreach $field (sort {$ref->field_prompt($a) cmp $ref->field_prompt($b)} @fields) {
+ if (defined $ref->{$field}) {
+ my ($priv, $ans) = promptf($ref->field_prompt($field), $ref->{$field});
+ push @out, $ans if ($self->priv >= $priv);
+ }
+ }
+ return @out;
+}
+
+# generate a regex from a shell type expression
+# see 'perl cookbook' 6.9
+sub shellregex
+{
+ my $in = shift;
+ $in =~ s{(.)} { $patmap{$1} || "\Q$1" }ge;
+ return '^' . $in . "\$";
+}
+
+# start an attempt at determining whether this string might be a callsign
+sub iscallsign
+{
+ my $call = uc shift;
+ return 1 if $call =~ /^[A-Z]+\d+[A-Z]+/;
+ return 1 if $call =~ /^\d+[A-Z]\d+[A-Z]+/;
+ return undef;
+}
+
+# read in a file into a string and return it.
+# the filename can be split into a dir and file and the
+# file can be in upper or lower case.
+# there can also be a suffix
+sub readfilestr
+{
+ my ($dir, $file, $suffix) = @_;
+ my $fn;
+ my $f;
+ if ($suffix) {
+ $f = uc $file;
+ $fn = "$dir/$f.$suffix";
+ unless (-e $fn) {
+ $f = lc $file;
+ $fn = "$dir/$file.$suffix";
+ }
+ } elsif ($file) {
+ $f = uc $file;
+ $fn = "$dir/$file";
+ unless (-e $fn) {
+ $f = lc $file;
+ $fn = "$dir/$file";
+ }
+ } else {
+ $fn = $dir;
+ }
+
+ my $fh = new IO::File $fn;
+ my $s = undef;
+ if ($fh) {
+ local $/ = undef;
+ $s = <$fh>;
+ $fh->close;
+ }
+ return $s;
+}
+
+# write out a file in the format required for reading
+# in via readfilestr, it expects the same arguments
+# and a reference to an object
+sub writefilestr
+{
+ my $dir = shift;
+ my $file = shift;
+ my $suffix = shift;
+ my $obj = shift;
+ my $fn;
+ my $f;
+
+ confess('no object to write in writefilestr') unless $obj;
+ confess('object not a reference in writefilestr') unless ref $obj;
+
+ if ($suffix) {
+ $f = uc $file;
+ $fn = "$dir/$f.$suffix";
+ unless (-e $fn) {
+ $f = lc $file;
+ $fn = "$dir/$file.$suffix";
+ }
+ } elsif ($file) {
+ $f = uc $file;
+ $fn = "$dir/$file";
+ unless (-e $fn) {
+ $f = lc $file;
+ $fn = "$dir/$file";
+ }
+ } else {
+ $fn = $dir;
+ }
+
+ my $fh = new IO::File ">$fn";
+ if ($fh) {
+ my $dd = new Data::Dumper([ $obj ]);
+ $dd->Indent(1);
+ $dd->Terse(1);
+ $dd->Quotekeys(0);
+ # $fh->print(@_) if @_ > 0; # any header comments, lines etc
+ $fh->print($dd->Dumpxs);
+ $fh->close;
+ }
+}