RT Essentials

Chapter 9. API

In RT, the DBIx::SearchBuilder module is responsible for connecting to the database, building the SQL required—whether searching, creating, or editing data—and returning the data to the RT interface. It supplies the API (Application Programming Interface), which provides access to the data stored in the database and is an essential component of RT.

More than that, because this module has been built to execute SQL in a generic manner and to run against multiple different types of databases, your own programs also can use it. In this chapter we discuss DBIx::SearchBuilder in some detail, which will enable you to understand what it does behind the scenes for RT and how to leverage its functionality for your own nefarious purposes.

How It Works

DBIx::SearchBuilder is not supposed to be used directly for each record. It is designed to act as a base for other modules that add the appropriate behavior. Any application that uses the DBIx::SearchBuilder suite is likely to start by using the DBIx::SearchBuilder::Record modules as a wrapper for a particular object.

Because the easiest way to understand something is to use it, we’ll write some simple code to interface with DBIx::SearchBuilder. Note that the code here is minimal so that you can concentrate on the interface. For more complex examples, simply browse the RT source code libraries themselves.

To show how this fits together, let’s begin with a database handle, which every object needs if it wants to talk to the database. ...