I dont' think I'm splitting the data right. I don't think I should push the data but I don't know how else to do it. Here is my main program with the test.dat (data file) below. I really need help this is due tomorrow! ################################

#sort.pl
#!/usr/bin/perl
#use IO::Socket;

my $datafile = "test.dat";
open fh, $datafile or die "Can't open $datafile: $!";
        
  my %report;           # for report info
  my %list;   
  while (<fh>) {
  # skip blank and commented lines
         next if /^\s*#/;
         next if /^\s*$/;
        
        # We'll look for lines that describe a report:
     if (s/^\s*report:\s+//i) {
        # line is a report description
 chomp;
        @report{qw(sort list)} = split;
  
         # set defaults  
        $report{sort} ||= 'source';
        $report{acl}  ||= 'all';
        
                    }
       
 else {
 my ($log_source,$time,$source_ip,$source_port,$dest_ip,$dest_port,
     $repeats,$acl_number,$log_number) = (split/,/);
    
push @{$list($_)},(site => $log_source,time =>$time, sip=>$source_ip,
    sport =>$source_port, dip => $dest_ip, dport =>$dest_port,  
    hits =>$repeats, acl =>$acl_number, lnum =>$log_number); 
   }

close fh;
 
 if ( $report{acl} eq 'all' ) {
    for ( sort keys %list ) {
      list_by_sort($_,$_,$_,$_, \%list)  if $report{sort} eq 'sort';
       }
    }
 else {
    list_by_sort($report{list}, \%list)       if $report{sort} eq 'sor
+t';
    }
sub list_by_sort($_,$_,$_,$_,\%list) {
    #input from the report line of the data
        my $field1  =  shift;
        my $field2  =  shift;
        my $field3  =  shift;
        my $field4  =  shift;
        my $date    = localtime;
        $date       =~ s/ /-/g;
        my $report_file_name = "$date.SORT";

        ###stores report data in file 
    
        open OF, ">$report_file_name" or die "Can't Open $report_file_
+name: $!";
        print OF "         REQUEST FOR SORTING\n\n";
        print OF "FILE WAS GENERATED ON:  $date \n";

#know I don't know how to compare the fields and do the sorts
#the -a is for asc. and -d for descending
}
test.dat--The data looks like this:
report:  sort site-a,time-a,sport-d,hits-a
Monmouth,2000-05-2000:00:09-04,192.35.75.69,138,192.100.255,66,2,101,1
+234
Jackson,2000-04-2100:00:10-05,192.35.12.03,144,192.67.29,134,8,101,148
+7
Meade,2001-01-0500:00:11-04,213.132.32,175,184.57.62.35,151,12,101,153
+2
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