I am attempting to pull a number (in my example 1530631) from a line before the line with the beep. * Line that needs to be matched, and I need 1530631. (8/20/09 7:59:28 PM EDT) 1530631: ^^5 * Than I need to match this line and pull this number 1531639. (8/20/09 7:59:28 PM EDT) 1531639: ##Twenty Four;##;pp * I will take the two numbers and subtract them from each other. My current code can only pull the line with the beep, but i cannot figure how to match the line before the beep. 
 
# open a file
my $filename = $ARGV[0];
open(debugfile, $filename) || die "Sorry, couldn't open file!";

while($line = <debugfile>)
{
    
    if($line =~ /##BEEP/) # place the regular expression to match the 
+first line here
    {
        print $line;
        @firstLine = split(/\)/, $line);
        $firstLineTime = $firstLine[1];
        @match = split (/##/, $firstLineTime);
        $Tic = $match[0];
        $waitingForTargetStatement = 1;
        
#        print "$firstLineTime\n";
#        print "$Tic\n";
        next;
    }


    if($line =~ /Pick/ && $waitingForTargetStatement == 1) # place the
+ regular expression to match the second line here
    {
        $waitingForTargetStatement = 0;
        
        @secondLine = split(/\)/, $line);
        $secondLineTime = $secondLine[1];
        @match = split (/##/, $secondLineTime);
        $Tic = $match[0];
        
        $time = $secondLineTime - $firstLineTime;
        $time = $time/1000;
        
        print $line;
#        print "$Tic\n";
        print "The time between the beep and the next pick location is
+ $time seconds\n"; # modify the print statement
        print "\n";
        next;
    }
#    if($line =~ /##|\^\^|SYSMSG|DIALOG/) # place a regular expression
+ to include other desired content here.
#    {
#        print $line;
#    }
}

[download]
EXAMPLE OF LOG:

(8/20/09 7:59:28 PM EDT) 1524243: ##BEEP (375,2)##
(8/20/09 7:59:28 PM EDT) 1524516: ##Two;Five;   Pick 
(8/20/09 7:59:28 PM EDT) 1530337: ^^7                     
(8/20/09 7:59:28 PM EDT) 1530631: ^^5                    
(8/20/09 7:59:28 PM EDT) 1531465: ##BEEP (375,2)##
(8/20/09 7:59:28 PM EDT) 1531639: ##Twenty Four;##;pp
(8/20/09 7:59:44 PM EDT) 1534041: ^^ready                
(8/20/09 7:59:44 PM EDT) 1534177: ##Three;One;   Pick 
(8/20/09 7:59:44 PM EDT) 1540464: ^^8                    
(8/20/09 7:59:44 PM EDT) 1540760: ^^8                    
(8/20/09 7:59:44 PM EDT) 1541590: ##BEEP (375,2)##
(8/20/09 7:59:44 PM EDT) 1541884: ##Two;Three;   Pick

[download]

In reply to How to match previous line by qnguyen

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