iwanthome has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

I would use File::Find to get the latest file in many directory. After I test the code,I found that code work normal if I send one directory to File::Find. But it would get wrong result if I send more than one directory to module. It seems like that File::Find would remember the variable.

#!/usr/bin/perl

use File::Find;

$file  = "/home/cmbnms/data/tftp/99.1.124.251";

my ($saved_time, $saved_name) = (-1, '');
sub biggest {
 if(-f $File::Find::name)
 {
     if ((stat($File::Find::name))[9] > $saved_time) 
     {
            $saved_time = (stat($File::Find::name))[9];
            $saved_name = $File::Find::name;
        }
 }
 
 return;
    
}
@dir = ($file);

find(\&biggest, @dir);
print "Biggest file $saved_name in is $saved_time long.\n";


$file  = "/home/cmbnms/data/tftp/99.1.124.252";
@dir = ($file);

find(\&biggest, @dir);
print "Biggest file $saved_name in is $saved_time long.\n";

$file  = "/home/cmbnms/data/tftp/10.1.102.237";
@dir = ($file);

find(\&biggest, @dir);
print "Biggest file $saved_name in is $saved_time long.\n";

$file  = "/home/cmbnms/data/tftp/10.1.99.100";
@dir = ($file);

find(\&biggest, @dir);
print "Biggest file $saved_name in is $saved_time long.\n";

$file  = "/home/cmbnms/data/tftp/10.1.99.200";
@dir = ($file);

find(\&biggest, @dir);
print "Biggest file $saved_name in is $saved_time long.\n";

[download]
execute result is like this: 
Biggest file /home/cmbnms/data/tftp/99.1.124.251/2005-9-/15-20-24-99.1
+.124.251.conf in is 1126164026 long.
Biggest file /home/cmbnms/data/tftp/99.1.124.252/2005-9-8/15-20-26-99.
+1.124.252.conf in is 1126164027 long.
Biggest file /home/cmbnms/data/tftp/10.1.102.237/2005-9-8/17-21-30-10.
+1.102.237.conf in is 1126171290 long.
Biggest file /home/cmbnms/data/tftp/10.1.102.237/2005-9-8/17-21-30-10.
+1.102.237.conf in is 1126171290 long.
Biggest file /home/cmbnms/data/tftp/10.1.102.237/2005-9-8/17-21-30-10.
+1.102.237.conf in is 1126171290 long.

[download]

you can see that the last 3 result is same, but it is not truth.

thanks for your help!

Considered: marto: Retitle : "Possible File::Find bug" ?
Unconsidered: Chady: enough keep votes (edit:16 keep:23 del:0)

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: bug of File::Find ?
by Corion (Patriarch) on Sep 09, 2005 at 07:06 UTC

    The bug is in your program:

    my ($saved_time, $saved_name) = (-1, '');

    [download]

    You are only remembering one file (with its name and time), and you always keep the latest. You need to reset that variable to (-1, '') (or undef) every time you want to start a fresh search.

[reply]
[d/l]
[select]
      thanks! My true code is like this: 
      _latest("dire1");
...do something...
_latest("dire2");
...do something...
_latest("dire3");
...do something...
_latest("dire4");
...do something...

sub _latest{

 my $file  = shift;
 
 my @dir;
 my $saved_time = -1;
 my $saved_name = '';
 
 sub wanted {
 if(-f $File::Find::name)
 {
      if ((stat($File::Find::name))[9] > $saved_time) 
     {
            $saved_time = (stat($File::Find::name))[9];
            $saved_name = $File::Find::name;
        }
 }
 }

 @dir = ($file);
 find(\&wanted, @dir);
 return $saved_name;

}

      [download]

      I don't know how to reset the variable to (-1, '') in this mode. In my opinion,every time I call _latest function,it reset the variable. But test result is not like that. It don't reset. Would you please help me ? thanks!

[reply]
[d/l]

        Did you turn on warnings? Don't you get a "Variable ... will not stay shared" warning for you code? If you do, read perldiag about that message. Your error is still that your variables are not reset, except in a more complicated manner.

[reply]
Re: bug of File::Find ?
by iwanthome (Beadle) on Sep 09, 2005 at 07:32 UTC

    thanks! My true code is like this: 

    _latest("dire1");
...do something...
_latest("dire2");
...do something...
_latest("dire3");
...do something...
_latest("dire4");
...do something...

sub _latest{

 my $file  = shift;
 
 my @dir;
 my $saved_time = -1;
 my $saved_name = '';
 
 sub wanted {
 if(-f $File::Find::name)
 {
      if ((stat($File::Find::name))[9] > $saved_time) 
     {
            $saved_time = (stat($File::Find::name))[9];
            $saved_name = $File::Find::name;
        }
 }
 }

 @dir = ($file);
 find(\&wanted, @dir);
 return $saved_name;

}

    [download]

    I don't know how to reset the variable to (-1, '') in this mode. In my opinion,every time I call _latest function,it reset the variable. But test result is not like that. It don't reset. Would you please help me ? thanks!

[reply]
[d/l]

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