The code below is an example and a fast one, but there are essentially just two points of note:

1) fixed fields can be easily parsed with unpack.
2) printf can format your output. Just be sure to give your fields enough room. 
#!/usr/bin/perl
use warnings;
use strict;

package main;
my $node_name = "";
my $host_name = "";
my $path_name = "";
my $backup_date = "";
while(<DATA>) {
my ($node, $host, $path, $backup) = unpack('A9A10A10A10',$_); 
    if ( $node =~ /^\w+/ ) {
    if ( $host_name =~ /\w+/ ) {
            printf "%-9s %-25s %-28s %-17s\n",
            $node_name, $host_name, $path_name, $backup_date;
            $node_name = "";
            $host_name = "";
            $path_name = "";
            $backup_date = "";
    }
    $node_name = $node;
    $host_name = $host;
    $path_name = $path;
    $backup_date = $backup;
    $backup_date =~ s/^\s+//;
    }
    else {
    $host_name .= $host;
    $path_name .= $path;
    $backup_date .= $backup;
    }
}
printf "%-9s %-25s %-28s %-17s\n",
    $node_name, $host_name, $path_name, $backup_date;
__DATA__
BD3101   bananaswi \breakfa       2007-03-06
         ithapple  st\fruit  14:02:31.000000
         s.gif     s\tree\
TP4223   chocolate \sweet\d       2006-02-28
         caramelfu esserts\  21:16:41.000000
         dge.gif   hersheys\
EO2123   tofuwith  \organic\      2007-07-16
         peas.gif  vegetable 13:55:06.000000
                   s\legumes\

[download]
And output is:

C:\Code>perl unpack.pl
BD3101    bananaswiithapples.gif    \breakfast\fruits\tree\      2007-
+14:02:31.0

TP4223    chocolatecaramelfudge.gif \sweet\desserts\hersheys\    2006-
+21:16:41.0

EO2123    tofuwithpeas.gif          \organic\vegetables\legumes\ 2007-
+13:55:06.0

[download]

In reply to Re: MultiLine Tables into Variables by dwm042
in thread MultiLine Tables into Variables by Knoperl

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