Any advice/jeering would be appreciated.

-sauoq
"My two cents aren't worth a dime.";

Also, using the OO interfaces IO::Dir and IO::File may be helpful.

And, taking your code as it is and fixing it ...

sub readindirs {
    my ($dirname) = @_;

    opendir(NEWDIR, $dirname) or die $!"; 
    my @newfiles = grep { $_ ne '.' and $_ ne '..' } readdir NEWDIR;
    closedir NEWDIR;

    foreach my $name (@newfiles)
    {
        if (-d $name) {
           readindirs($name);
        } else {
            parse_sub_routine($name);
        }
    }
}
[download]

The problem you were having was that you were clobbering @newfiles because you weren't scoping it to each invocation of the subroutine. Next time, add use strict; to the top of your script and it will help.

Hmmm... I tried fixing the code as you suggested, and ended up with the same problem. I goes into one directory and no further than that level. I am trying to avoid using the modules, because I am on the road and need to email this to someone who does not really know perl. I am getting the problem where it reads in the directory the first time, and every other time treats the directory like a file (as if the if (-d $name) piece was failing).

I am running the following:

#!/usr/bin/perl;
use strict;

sub readindirs {
    my ($dirname) = @_;
    print "$dirname -> dirname \n";
    opendir(NEWDIR, $dirname) or die $!; 
    my @newfiles = grep { $_ ne '.' and $_ ne '..' } readdir NEWDIR;
    closedir NEWDIR;
    foreach my $name (@newfiles)
    {
        if (-d $name) {
            print "name:: $name \n";
           readindirs($name);
        } else {
            print "parse file : $name \n";
            #&parse_file($name);
        }
    }
}
&readindirs('.');
[download]

Which results in this:

. -> dirname
name:: about
about -> dirname
parse file : aic3.pl
parse file : contact
parse file : coredocs
parse file : footer.inc
parse file : index.html
parse file : nav.js
parse file : organization
parse file : overview
parse file : programs
parse file : rightnav.inc
parse file : template.html
parse file : top.inc
parse file : about2.zip
parse file : aic.pl
parse file : aictemp.pl
[download]

Of which contact, coredocs, organization, overview, and programs are directories.

I am doing this on a windows distr. and am not really a windows person, I know that there are a few differences between *nix and windows perl, is this one of them? The other thing, which is purely for my own interest, is how is  if (-d $name) better/worse than (opendir(DIR, $name)).

Thanks a lot for your help. If I can't figure it out soon, I think that I will go to the modules.

*smacks head repeatly against keyboard* This is why I use modules whenever possible.

my @newfiles =
    map { File::Spec->catfile($dirname, $_) }
    grep { $_ ne '.' and $_ ne '..' }
        readdir NEWDIR;
[download]

You gotta prepend the directory name onto what you read from the DIR handle.

------
We are the carpenters and bricklayers of the Information Age.

The idea is a little like C++ templates, except not quite so brain-meltingly complicated. -- TheDamian, Exegesis 6

... strings and arrays will suffice. As they are easily available as native data types in any sane language, ... - blokhead, speaking on evolutionary algorithms

Please remember that I'm crufty and crochety. All opinions are purely mine and all code is untested, unless otherwise specified.

Take a look at File::Find::Rule as well.