Hello everyone,

I need to remove certain multi-line entries from files with a format like this: 

[reports]
yearlystore = 
quarterlystore = 
monthlystore = 
weeklystore = 
dailystore = 
[server1]
logfilepath1 = F:\Logfiles\ZWire\Zwire4\split-0\ex*.log
servername = Zwire4
logfilepassword = 
logfileusername = 
id = a104136320003954
[server2]
servername = Zwire6
logfilepath1 = f:\logfiles\zwire\zwire6\split-0\ex*.log
id = a104136346513171
logfilepassword = 
logfileusername = 
[server3]
id = a104136351461256
logfilepath1 = f:\logfiles\zwire\zwire7\split-0\ex*.log
logfilepassword = 
servername = zwire7

[download]
There are many types of 
 
[header]
item =
item2 = 
item3 =

[download]
entries in these files. I am only concerned with the 
[server1]
logfilepath1 = F:\Logfiles\ZWire\Zwire4\split-0\ex*.log
servername = Zwire4
logfilepassword = 
logfileusername = 
id = a104136320003954

[download]
type of entries. I need to remove everything from [serverX] to the next [serverX+1] (but not including it). I will be removing entries based on the contents of the servername = line.

Making this even more complex, I will have to re-number the [serverX] entries if one is removed, so that they remain in sequential order!

I've tossed around doing something like this: 
while (<IN>) {
   if (/\[server(\d)\]/) {
     do { $throwaway = <IN>; } until { $throwaway = /\[server(\d)\]/ }
+;
   } else {
     push @output, $_;
   }

print OUT @output;

[download]
Of course, this doesn't help me when I'm only looking for a particular server, or the re-numbering.

Perhaps something more like this? 
undef $/; 
$file = <IN>; # to slurp whole file at once

$file =~ s/ # some complex regex //m;

[download]
All advice appreciated from the wise monks!

Cheers,
ibanix

$ echo '$0 & $0 &' > foo; chmod a+x foo; foo;

In reply to Searching for and removing multi-line file entries by ibanix

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