Re: Bug or newbie stupidity?

[Tom Allison <tallison@tacocat.net>]

Simon Waters wrote:
> Error message syntax question.
>
> Not vitally important, but enquiring minds want to know.
>
> Why does;
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> #!/usr/bin/perl
> use strict;
> use warnings;
> use DBI;
>
> my
> $dbh=DBI->connect("dbi:Pg:dbname=dbname;host='mercury';port=5432;",,"dbuser","dbpass",);
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> think my server name is "8'@@" (or other random junk) on Debian Sarge
> installs (all of mine).
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> DBI connect('dbname=dbname;host='mercury';port=5432;','dbuser',...)
> failed: could not connect to server: 8´@@
>         Is the server running on host "mercury" and accepting
>         TCP/IP connections on port 5432?
>  at perl/con line 6
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I don't know if you found an solution yet or if you figured it out yourself.
But, it seems to me that the error doesn't make any sense.

However, reading the perldoc I noticed that they don't consider using the (') 
when naming servers.  I can't find any use of this in examples or my own code.

Looking at my own use of the Pg database:
  my $database   = $cfg->{db_name};
  my $user       = $cfg->{db_user};
  my $pass       = $cfg->{db_pass};
  my $host       = $cfg->{db_host};

  my $server     = "database=$database;host=$host;port=5432";
  my $datasource = 'dbi:Pg:' . $server;
  my $dbh = DBI->connect( $datasource, $user, $pass,
      { AutoCommit => 1, RaiseError => 1 } );

I first difference I notice is the term "dbname" instead of "database".

I would recommend breaking this up into a list of variables instead of pushing 
everything into a hard coded string.  Perhaps for testing, but nothing beyond that.