using hash key as hash value ...

blueflashlight has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

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Re: using hash key as hash value ... by George_Sherston (Vicar) on Oct 02, 2001 at 04:37 UTC
The reason it doesn't work is that you use `$media{bond}` before you've finished defining %media. Run under `strict`, therefore, it fails with `Global symbol "%media" requires explicit package name` [download] You get that error for both the lines where you use `$media{bond}` within the definition of %media. But this works fine: `my %media = ( bond => "USLetter:Plain:white:75", ); $media{letter} = $media{bond}; $media{plain} = $media{bond};` [download] Hey! Another reason to use strict! § George Sherston	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re: using hash key as hash value ... by blueflashlight (Pilgrim) on Oct 02, 2001 at 07:05 UTC
thanks ... actually, I did (and always) 'use strict;' but I just pasted a snippet of the code above, not the whole thing. Your explanation is great. Thanks. --Sandy	[reply]
Re: Re: using hash key as hash value ... by George_Sherston (Vicar) on Oct 02, 2001 at 14:25 UTC
Sorry to doubt you, Sibling... I have the zeal of the converted sinner :) § George Sherston	[reply]
Re: using hash key as hash value ... by japhy (Canon) on Oct 02, 2001 at 04:36 UTC
At the time you access the value `$media{bond}`, it does not yet exist. To get around this, you can do something like: `$_ = "a:default:value" for @hash{'key1', 'key2', 'key3'}; # or $hash{$_} = "a:default:value" for 'key1', 'key2', 'key3'; # or @hash{'key1', 'key2', 'key3'} = ("a:default:value") x 3;` [download] If you actually want one key of a hash to be an alias to another key, you'll have to do some `tie()` magic. _____________________________________________________ Jeff`[japhy]`Pinyan: Perl, regex, and perl hacker. `s++=END;++y(;-P)}y js++=;shajsj<++y(p-q)}?print:??;`	[reply] [d/l]
Re: Re: using hash key as hash value ... by blueflashlight (Pilgrim) on Oct 02, 2001 at 07:10 UTC
yow. that's more involved then I wanted to get into. (Actually, the reason I'm trying to do what I'm trying to do is to make my code "easy" to read for other people at my org. who may need to modify it.) Tie::AliasHash looks cool, though ... perhaps I'll try it out sometime. thanks! --sandy	[reply]
Re: using hash key as hash value ... by pjf (Curate) on Oct 02, 2001 at 04:39 UTC
It doesn't work because your hash hasn't been created at the time you try to assign to the letter and plain keys. If you're using strict, perl will complain loudly about that. You can do what you're after, but you need to do it in two steps. The first step is to create your hash with the bond key in it, and the second step is to fill in the other values. For example: `my %media = (bond => "USLetter:Plain:white:75"); %media = (%media, letter => $media{bond}, plain => $media{bond});` [download] This does what you're after. Putting %media as the first entry when re-assigning the hash makes sure that the old values are put back in. Of course, TMTOWTDI. The following is probably faster (as we're not copying the hash back into itself), and more compact, but more difficult to understand. `my %media = (bond => "USLetter:Plain:white:75"); @media{qw/letter plain/} = @media{qw/bond bond/};` [download] Cheers, Paul	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re: using hash key as hash value ... by jryan (Vicar) on Oct 02, 2001 at 04:39 UTC
Its because %media hasn't been declared completely yet. It would be like trying to do this: `my $var = "blah".substr($var, 0, 2);` [download] Just because part of it is declared, doesn't mean the whole thing is. If you must reuse the code, store it in an earlier variable: `my $temp = "USLetter:Plain:white:75"; my %media = ( bond => $temp, letter => $temp, plain => $temp );` [download]	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re: using hash key as hash value ... by blackjudas (Pilgrim) on Oct 02, 2001 at 04:39 UTC
The hash %media hasn't been scoped yet, the interpreter executes the 'line' at the semicolon. Therefore %media doesn't exist until perl sees the semicolon. In your case, I would suggest breaking out the assignments into different instructions. Such as the following: `my %media = ( bond => "USLetter:Plain:white:75" ); $media{'letter'} = $media{'bond'}; $media{'plain'} = $media{'bond'};` [download] Though there's probably better ways to do it through looping etc, it all depends on what you need done.	[reply] [d/l]
Re: Re: using hash key as hash value ... by blueflashlight (Pilgrim) on Oct 02, 2001 at 07:11 UTC
I'll probably do it the way you suggest. It seems like it's "easiest" on the eyes. thanks, --sandy	[reply]