There is no need to init variables with padded strings. Consider:

my $zip_1 = '';
#...
printf ">%12.12s<\n", $zip;
printf ">%12.12s<\n", '123456789012';

[download]

Prints:

>            <
>123456789012<

[download]

To manage multiple successive entries that ought be the same length:

my @lines;

push @lines, 'Address line 1';
push @lines, ''; # Second line of address skipped
push @lines, 'no zip stupid form';
push @lines, 'My beloved country';
push @lines, 'The %35.35s syntax will truncate this is a long line.';

printf "%-35.35s\n", $_ for @lines;

[download]

Prints:

Address line 1                     
                                   
no zip stupid form                 
My beloved country                 
The %35.35s syntax will truncate th

[download]

But why fixed length records rather than CSV, XML or using a database?

DWIM is Perl's answer to Gödel

In reply to Re: Best way(s) to process form data into fixed-length values? by GrandFather
in thread Best way(s) to process form data into fixed-length values? by hmbscully

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