ok.. i am re-phrasing my question so that it is easier to understand :) - Hello all. I am new here at perlmonks. I am curious what the best way to handle this data would be. I have a log file that has information set up in the following way:

system1,data,variable1,data,data1,data1

Let's say for instance we are talking about used car dealerships. this would be the data:

lot1,new,honda,civic,cincinnati,oh
lot1,used,chevy,impala,cincinnati,oh
lot1,new,honda,civic,cincinnati,oh
lot1,used,chevy,impala,cincinnati,oh
lot1,new,cadillac,escalade,cincinnati,oh
lot2,new,buick,sentry,houston,tx
lot2,used,ford,ranger,houston,tx
lot2,new,buick,sentry,houston,tx
lot2,used,ford,ranger,houston,tx
lot2,used,ford,ranger,houston,tx
lot3,new,ford,ranger,lexington,ky
lot3,used,cadillac,escalade,lexington,ky
lot3,used,cadillac,escalade,lexington,ky
lot4,new,ford,f150,chicago,illinois
lot4,new,ford,f150,chicago,illinois
lot4,new,ford,f150,chicago,illinois

as you can see there are different lots. each lot has different makes and models, but each lot has a unique city/state. I dont care if they are new or used. and i dont care about the model. I need to know what lots have how many different makes, and the city/state of that lot. so, the output might be...

lot1,cincinnati,oh has 2 hondas, 2 chevys, 1 cadillac
lot2,houston,tx has 2 buicks, 3 fords
lot3,lexington,ky has 1 ford, 2 cadillacs
etc...

Hopefully my description is thorough. I am not sure exactly the best way to approach this, hence my question. I hope that someone will be able to shed some light on this for me. Thanks in advance!

In reply to What is the best way to handle this data? by terminaljunkie

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