#!/usr/bin/perl

# read user data into a hash
while ($line = <DATA>) {
   chomp $line;
   ($u, $p) = split /:/, $line;
   $ubase{$u} = $p;

}

my $uname = 'larry';
my $passwd = 'lingo';
   # find command-line args in hash or exit
die "cannot find user $uname\n\t"
   if ! defined $ubase{$uname};
die "cannot validate user password\n\t"
   if $passwd ne $ubase{$uname};

print "Validated user name and password\n";

__DATA__
larry:lingo
tom:tonic
ellie:plasma

##</code><code>##

Validated user anme and password