And a quick cleanup:

#!/usr/bin/perl
use warnings;
use strict;
use Getopt::Long;
use Pod::Usage;

#********************************************************
#**  Process command line arguments.
#********************************************************

GetOptions(
    'add=s'  =>\my $Add_Record,
    'edit=s' =>\my $Edit_Record,
    'list=s' =>\my $List_Records,
    'view=s' =>\my $View_Record,
    'man'    => sub {pod2usage({-verbose => 2, -input => \*DATA})},
    'help|?' => sub {pod2usage({-verbose => 1, -input => \*DATA})},
);

if (($Add_Record xor $Edit_Record) xor ($List_Records xor $View_Record
+))
{
# Run Program
}
else
{
#  Print manual
}

__END__

=head1 NAME

somescript -- A utility for ...

=head1 SYNOPSIS

B<somescript --help> for more information

    somescript [options]

Options:
[download]

Note a few things.

• First, the short forms of the options are automatically available. You don't need to add them.
• Taking a reference to a variable when you declare it is a nice shorthand.
• I have pod2usage take __DATA__ as the input because I've had problems with this working when I do funky things with directories.

Thank you it is much cleaner but I still can't get that if statement to work. I will get it just need to sketch it out right.

You know, I saw your script and immediately thought about cleaning it up. I didn't even think about reading your question :)

A simple way of ensuring that only one option is used at a time:

GetOptions(
    'add=s'  =>\my $add,
    'edit=s' =>\my $edit,
    'list=s' =>\my $list,
    'view=s' =>\my $view,
    'man'    => sub {pod2usage({-verbose => 2, -input => \*DATA}); exi
+t},
    'help|?' => sub {pod2usage({-verbose => 1, -input => \*DATA}); exi
+t},
);

if (1 == grep { defined } ( $add, $edit, $list, $view )) {
    print "Good!";
}
else {
    print "Bad!\n";
}
[download]

Cheers,
Ovid

New address of my CGI Course.

1) Move your "initialize variables" section above your call to GetOptions so the lexical variables will exist before you use them.

2) pod2usage() will exit your program, so you don't need the "print manual" in the else.

Sorry that was a cut and paste error when I first copied it I chopped off the initialisation of the variables, when I pasted them pack in I did it in the wrong place. I have found I flaw in the logic also while testing, and am focussing on getting it so that only one of the four options is specified for add record, edit record, list records, view record. the line

if (($Add_Record xor $Edit_Record) xor ($List_Records xor $View_Record
+))
[download]

is not the logic I want. In that case if three values are true the statement is true.

What the script does is:

1. Add a record to a database
2. Edit a record from a database
3. List the records in the database
4. View a record from a database

But you should only be able to do one option at a time. I would like to call that in the command line instead of having a menu system in the script itself.

am I missing something in Getop::Long that marks entries as being required or selective

Abigail

Is there a better method for doing this. Should I make the program interactive with a menu instead. I lean towards options because they can be scripted themselves. So I could use the above code script.pl -v record_ID >output.txt or script.pl -a <input.txt

Though I would have to change a because right now it requires a parameter passed to it and it really shouldn't

When I want to make arguments required, I use Getopt::Long, and just put in an additional check for the 'option' that I want to be required.

Abigail

How about something like this:

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

use Getopt::Long;
use Pod::Usage;

my $Action;  # Will be one of: add, edit, list, view
my $Value;   # Will be the value of the =s part of the option

sub set_action {
  pod2usage(
    -message => 'Must use only one of --add, --edit, --list, or --view
+',
  ) if defined $Action;

  $Action = shift;
  $Value  = shift;
}

GetOptions(
   'add|a=s' => \&set_action,
  'edit|e=s' => \&set_action,
  'list|l=s' => \&set_action,
  'view|v=s' => \&set_action,
  'man|m'    => sub { pod2usage(-exitstatus => 0, -verbose => 2) },
  'help|h|?' => sub { pod2usage(1) },
) or pod2usage(2);
# Update2: Changed back to pod2usage(2) from exit(2) (see below)

pod2usage(
  -message => 'Must use at least one of --add, --edit, --list, or --vi
+ew',
  -exitval => 1,
) unless defined $Action;

# Run program
{
  add  => \&add_record,
  edit => \&edit_record,
  list => \&list_record,
  view => \&view_record,
}->{$Action}->($Value);

sub add_record {
  my $record = shift;

  print "Adding record $record.\n";
}

sub edit_record {
  my $record = shift;

  print "Editing record $record.\n";
}

sub list_record {
  my $record = shift;

  print "Listing record $record.\n";
}

sub view_record {
  my $record = shift;

  print "Viewing record $record.\n";
}

=head1 NAME

Program Name - description

=head1 SYNOPSIS

program [--man] [--help] --add|--edit|--list|--view RECORD

  -a, --add  RECORD      Add a record
  -e, --edit RECORD      Edit a record
  -l, --list RECORD      List record(s)
  -v, --view RECORD      View a record

  -h, -?, --help         Display this help screen
  -m, --man              Display the program's manual

Note, you must include one (and only one) of add, edit, list, or view.

=head1 DESCRIPTION

Detailed program description.

=head1 AUTHOR

The Author

=cut
[download]

When I tested this, the pod2usage stuff didn't work at all. I think, however, it's an issue with my installation of Pod::Usage, and the option-related part of this code does work so I am posting it anyway. If you also have a problem with pod2usage not working with this, or similar, code, let me know so I can try to determine where the issue lies.

Update: Made a minor update to the code. Noted in comment.

Update2: Ok, my problems with pod2usage are definately just an issue with my cygwin install of Pod::Usage. I tested the above code with my ActivePerl install, and it works fine. Also, I was mistaken about GetOptions not allowing pod2usage to die properly, so I changed the code back.