Perl ForecastIO module README for GitHub

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# ForecastIO.pm

This Perl wrapper API is used to process weather data that is provided in JSON format by [forecast.io](http://forecast.io/).

Related: [forecast.io developer API info](https://developer.forecast.io). From the forecast.io website:

> *"The easiest, most advanced, weather API on the web. The same API that powers Forecast.io and Dark Sky for iOS can provide accurate short­term and long­term weather predictions to your business, application, or crazy idea."*

A working example that uses this Perl module can be found at [Toledo Weather](http://toledotalk.com/weather). This weather Web app uses jQuery mobile on the client side. Several Perl scripts execute at different intervals in cron that fetch RSS, custom XML, and HTML files from the National Weather Service to provide the data for display. The forecast.io section of this Web app uses a small part of this Perl module. Code for the entire Toledo weather Web app exists on GitHub at [ToledoWX](https://github.com/jrsawvel/ToledoWX).


# Perl Module

This Perl module was inspired by the PHP forecast.io wrapper located at [tobias-redmann/forecast.io-php-api](https://github.com/tobias-redmann/forecast.io-php-api).


## Usage

View the [test Perl script](https://github.com/jrsawvel/Perl-ForecastIO/blob/master/bin/test-forecastio-1.pl) in the bin directory.

Also, view the [output file](https://github.com/jrsawvel/Perl-ForecastIO/blob/master/data/toledo-10jul2013-output.txt) that was created by the above test script.

```perl
use ForecastIO;
```

Set your API key and location.

```perl
my $forecast = ForecastIO->new($api_key, $latitude, $longitude);
```

Download JSON data and convert it to a Perl hash.

```perl
$forecast->fetch_data;
```

## Alerts

Forecast.io data includes special weather statements, watches, and warnings that have been issued by the National Weather Service, such as Severe Thunderstorm Warning, Heat Advisory, etc.

    if ( @alerts ) {  
        foreach my $a ( @alerts ) {  
            print "alert =       " . $a->alert_title  . "\n";  
            print "uri =         " . $a->alert_uri . "\n";  
            print "expires =     " . ForecastIOUtils::format_date($a->alert_expires) . "\n";  
            print "description = " . $a->alert_description . "\n";  
        }  
    }  

See below in the Utilities section, concerning ForecastIOUtils.


## Current Conditions

Get the object for the current conditions.

```perl
my $currently      = $forecast->currently;
```

Get methods available for the currently object:

```perl
$currently->time  
$currently->summary  
$currently->icon  
$currently->temperature  
$currently->dewPoint  
$currently->windBearing  
$currently->windSpeed  
$currently->pressure  
$currently->humidity  
$currently->ozone  
$currently->precipProbability  
$currently->cloudCover  
$currently->cloudCover  
$currently->precipIntensity  
$currently->precipType  
$currently->visibility  
```

## Utilities

I like the raw data provided by forecast.io. It provides the user or developer with options on how to display the data. Some of the forecast.io data needs additional processing or formatting to display it in a more "normal" way. The ForecastIO.pm module also contains a utilities package.

Each subroutine is preceded by ForecastIOUtils::

```perl
format_date($currently->time)  
degrees_to_cardinal($currently->windBearing)  
round($currently->windSpeed)  
round($currently->temperature)  
round($currently->dewPoint)  
millibars_to_inches($currently->pressure)  
cloud_cover_description($currently->cloudCover)  
calc_intensity($currently->precipIntensity)  
calc_intensity_color($currently->precipIntensity)  
```

You can modify the format_date subroutine to produce a different format. And you can play with the precipitation intensity subroutine to produce text values that seem more appropriate with your own observations. Thus far, I think the text-based intensity values returned in this module match my observations in Toledo, Ohio.