@inv_return = get_best_inv("Robb");
print "Name: ",$inv_return[1]," Invoice Number: ", $inv_return[0], " D
+ate: ",$inv_return[2]," - ",$inv_return[3],"\n";


sub get_best_inv {
$whatname = shift;
my ($inv, $name, $date, $timestamp) = "";
open (INFILE, "t");
while (<INFILE>) {
  chomp;
  ($inv,$name,$date,$timestamp) =  split " ";
  if (($name eq "$whatname") and ($date ge $best_date) and ($timestamp
+ >= $best_timestamp)) {
      ($best_inv, $best_name, $best_date, $best_timestamp) = ($inv, $n
+ame, $date, $timestamp);
  }
}
close (INFILE);
return ($best_inv, $best_name, $best_date, $best_timestamp);
}
[download]

not tested (as I dont have perl on my lil pocket pc). and since your imidiatly previous statment confuses me because your sample picks dont folow what I would consider your explenation -- changing the code is left up to you to provide that functionality.

-Waswas