Lintian::Deb822::Section(3)

💖 Lintian::Deb822::Section(3) 💖

okay bestie, so this is a page from the Lintian manual — Lintian being the Debian Package Checker — and specifically it's the section-3 page for Lintian::Deb822::Section. Yes, section 3, the library-functions girlies. Pull up a chair, we're doing Perl module lore today 🫶

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✨ NAME ✨

Lintian::Deb822::Section — a paragraph in a control file. that's it, that's the whole vibe 💅

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

use Lintian::Deb822::Section;

literally one line. she's low-maintenance like that ✨

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

so basically this class represents a paragraph in a Deb822 control file. one paragraph = one object. that's the whole concept, no cap 🎀

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👑 INSTANCE METHODS 👑

these are the methods you call on an actual instance, i.e. on one of those paragraph objects. let's go one by one, no skipping, I promised 🍓

• legend — returns exact field names for their lowercase versions. so you hand it the lowercase version and it gives you the real casing back. cute little lookup table energy 🔥
• verbatim — returns a hash to the raw, unedited and verbatim field values. untouched, unfiltered, exactly as the file wrote it. main character, no edits 💅
• unfolded — returns a hash to unfolded field values. continuation lines have been connected. so like, the multi-line stuff got stitched back together into one string 🧵
• positions — the original line positions. where everything actually sat in the file, for the girlies who need to know 📍
• trimmed_list(FIELD [, SEPARATOR])
• unfolded_value (FIELD) — this method returns the unfolded value of the control field FIELD in the control file for the package. for a source package, this is the *.dsc file; for a binary package, this is the control file in the control section of the package. if FIELD is passed but not present, then this method returns undef. so yeah, be ready for that undef, bestie, check before you use it 😭

heads up: trimmed_list and unfolded_value are listed together in the original and share that one description. I'm not out here inventing extra lore for trimmed_list — if the source doesn't say it, I don't say it, fr fr.

• value (FIELD) — if FIELD is given, this method returns the value of the control field FIELD. that's the whole sentence. girl is concise and we respect it 💜
• untrimmed_value (FIELD) — if FIELD is given, this method returns the value of the control field FIELD. yes it's the same sentence as value, that's just how the page is written, don't @ me 🙈
• text (FIELD)
• store (FIELD, VALUE)
• drop (FIELD) — okay so these three are just sitting there in the original with zero description attached. iconic and mysterious. I am NOT making up behaviour for them, that would be a lie and lies are not the vibe ✨
• declares (NAME) — returns a boolean for whether the named field exists. so basically true or false, does it exist, yes or no, vibe check on the field 💀
• names — returns an array with the literal field names. a whole list, bestie 📝
• literal_name — returns an array with the literal, true case field names. the exact casing, the original typography, the way it was truly written 🎀
• position — with an argument, returns the starting line of the named field. without an argument, returns the starting line of the paragraph. two modes, one method, she contains multitudes 🌈
• extra — and that's it. no description provided in the original. she's just there, existing, serving cunt and saying nothing 🧚

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🌟 AUTHOR 🌟

originally written by Felix Lechner <felix.lechner@lease-up.com> for Lintian. thank you Felix, we appreciate you 🫶

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💜 SEE ALSO 💜

• lintian(1)

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and that's the page!! this was Lintian v2.139.0ubuntu2, dated 2026-10-08, and the whole thing is the Lintian::Deb822::Section(3) manual. periodt 💅✨💖