Hello Raya4505,

Changing the script to handle diagnosis codes as strings rather than integers is not difficult. First, I’ve changed the contents of the input file “2009.txt” as follows:

Tom_Jones z9062
John_Smith V27783
Tom_Jones z9062
Jane_Brown 9100
Tom_Jones 28741
John_Smith z9062
Tom_Jones z9062
Jane_Brown z9062
Tom_Jones 28741
Jane_Brown c2853
Jane_Brown z9062
Tom_Jones 12345
[download]

Next, the script itself. You’ve already handled the most challenging part by changing the sort operator from <=> to cmp. The only other changes required are to the array initialisations and the printf formats:

1. For the array initialisations, you need to quote the strings (because barewords are not allowed under strict 'subs'):

   my @ComplicationsSurgicalProcedMedCare_238 = ( 27661, 'V27783', 27788,
   + 'c2853', 28741);
   my @SuperficialInjuryContusion_239         = ('z9062',    9063,  9100,
   +   9101);
   [download]

   Or, you can make use of Perl’s qw operator (on which, see: Quote Like Operators):

   my @ComplicationsSurgicalProcedMedCare_238 = qw(27661 V27783 27788 c28
   +53 28741);
   my @SuperficialInjuryContusion_239         = qw(z9062   9063  9100  91
   +01);
   [download]

2. The printf function format codes are as in C, and are detailed in the documentation for sprintf. %d formats its input as an integer, %s formats its input as a string. So this section of code:

   if (exists $DiagCodes{$_})
   {
       printf $fh1 "    %s: %d, %d\n",
   #        *** Change here: ^
                   $DiagNames{ $DiagCodes{$_} },
                   $_,
                   $Diags{$key}->{$_};
   }
   else
   {
       printf $fh1 "    Unrecognized code: %d\n", $_;
   #                       *** Change here: ^
   }
   [download]

   needs to be changed to:

   if (exists $DiagCodes{$_})
   {
       printf $fh1 "    %s: %s, %d\n",
                   $DiagNames{ $DiagCodes{$_} },
                   $_,
                   $Diags{$key}->{$_};
   }
   else
   {
       printf $fh1 "    Unrecognized code: %s\n", $_;
   }
   [download]

Hope that helps,