/* -------------------------------------------------------------------
+------------------------------------------------
** %%TableName%%.Fl
** -------------------------------------------------------------------
+------------------------------------------------
** FastLoad Script for %%TableName%%
** -------------------------------------------------------------------
+------------------------------------------------
** Generated by LoadGen
** -------------------------------------------------------------------
+------------------------------------------------
** What | Who | When       | Why
** -------------------------------------------------------------------
+------------------------------------------------
** 1.00 | %%Author_Initials%% | %%Date%% | Original Version
** -------------------------------------------------------------------
+------------------------------------------------
**      |     |            |
** -------------------------------------------------------------------
+------------------------------------------------
**      |     |            |
** -------------------------------------------------------------------
+------------------------------------------------
*/
.Show Versions;
.Sessions %%Sessions%%;
.LogOn %%TPID%%/%%User%%,%%Password%%;

Database %%StagingDB%%;
Drop Table ET_%%TableName%%;
Drop Table UV_%%TableName%%;
Drop Table %%TableName%%_Stage;

Create Set Table
      %%TableName%%_Stage
   , No FallBack
   , No Before Journal
   , No After Journal
   , CheckSum = High
(
    %%Column_Name_Comma%%    Varchar(%%Column_Size%%)
)
Primary Index
(
      %%Primary_Index_Column_Comma%%
)
;

.Set Record %%Record_Type%%;

Begin Loading
    %%TableName%%_Stage
Errorfiles
    ET_%%TableName%%,
   UV_%%TableName%%;
    
Help Table %%TableName%%_Stage;

Define
File = %%Data_Dir%%%%Data_FileName%%;
Show;
ErrLimit %%ErrLimit%%;

Insert Into
    %%TableName%%_Stage
Values
(
    :%%Column_Name_Comma%%
);

End Loading;

.LogOff;
[download]

So what kinds of things go into $FindWhat and how is that different than @Column's hashes? Why don't you try out Text::Template? It already does this stuff and without having to invent your own parser.

If all else fails, you could track what $-[0] and $+[0] are when you copy $1 and later use substr() to write back to $Template at those offsets with your replacement.

I don't buy your argument about not using s/// on the grounds that it appears you're rejecting it on some faulty assumptions. Regardless, here's a s///ge alike without actually using s///.

# Ala
my $region_start = $-[0];
my $region_length = $+[0] - $-[0];
my $OriginalLine = $1;
...

substr $Template, $region_start, $region_length, $ReplacementString;
[download]

Thanks. I'll check out Text::Template, that's a new one for me. Nothing fancy goes into $FindWhat, just plain strings like COLUMN_NAME After my first post I discovered $-[0] and I have implemented a version using that. It's still buggy, but it's better. Doug