#!/usr/bin/perl -w use strict; my $prev_line=(); while () { if (!$prev_line){$prev_line = $_; next} my ($prev_num, $prev_desc_txt) = (split(/,/,$prev_line,3))[0,2]; my ($num, $desc_text) = (split(/,/,$_,3))[0,2]; if ($prev_num eq $num) #combine prev and current descriptions { my $new_desc = "$prev_desc_txt $desc_text"; my @new_desc = ($new_desc =~m/(\w+)/g); @new_desc = sort { #thanks to jwkrahn for sort my ( $aL, $aR ) = $a =~ /(\D+)(\d+)/; my ( $bL, $bR ) = $b =~ /(\D+)(\d+)/; $aL cmp $bL or $aR <=> $bR } @new_desc; print "$num,".@new_desc.",\"", join(',',@new_desc),"\"\n"; #note .@new_desc forces scalar context (num elements) $prev_line =(); } else #prev_line is a "singleton" { print $prev_line; $prev_line = $_; } } print $prev_line if ($prev_line); #maybe a "hanger on" =prints: 032-00751-0000,1,R383 032-00794-0000,6,"RP1,RP2,RP3,RP22,RP24,RP26" 032-00795-0000,8,"RP10,RP11,RP12,RP13,RP14,RP15,RP16,RP17" 032-00804-0000,7,"R7,R14,R21,R23,R41,R42,R49" 032-00807-0000,6,"RP8,RP9,RP18,RP19,RP200,RP201" 032-00808-0000,3,"RP21,RP23,RP25" 032-00820-0000,6,"R966,R970,R971,R1041,R1076,R3000" 032-00893-0000,1,R1164 =cut __DATA__ 032-00751-0000,1,R383 032-00794-0000,6,"RP1,RP2,RP3,RP22,RP24,RP26" 032-00795-0000,8,"RP10,RP11,RP12,RP13,RP14,RP15,RP16,RP17" 032-00804-0000,7,"R7,R14,R21,R23,R41,R42,R49" 032-00807-0000,2,"RP18,RP19" 032-00807-0000,4,"RP8,RP9,RP200,RP201" 032-00808-0000,3,"RP21,RP23,RP25" 032-00820-0000,5,"R966,R970,R971,R1041,R1076" 032-00820-0000,1,R3000 032-00893-0000,1,R1164