WWW::Mechanize with optional fields

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

I am developing a script that uses WWW::Mechanize. Some users will have more or less HTML form fields than others, so my script has to accomodate for that.

I have variables like this for data

$var1_a = "name";
$var1_b = "Richard";
$var2_a = "age";
$var2_b = "12";
$var3_a = "location";
$var3_b = "mars";
[download]

Now some of these vars will NOT be used and will be set to ="". A's are the field names, B's are the values.

Is there a better way to set this up? Preferably a way that the user can add INFINITE form fields for WWW::Mechanize to pull through?

Other question is a two parter. If using MY method of hard coding the vars, how do I transfer them to my $mech call the most efficient way? I don't suppose I can put if conditionals in the FIELDS() to see whether certain fields were used.

    $mech->submit_form(
        form_name => $search_form,
        fields      => {
            $forum_user     => $username,
            $forum_pass    => $password,
        }
    );
[download]

2nd question is, if you have a better way of storing the data and looping over the form fields/values, can you post an example?

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Re: WWW::Mechanize with optional fields by Joost (Canon) on Jun 24, 2006 at 10:44 UTC
Use a hash to store the data. Hashes are ideal if you have name - value pairs: `my %fields = ( name => "Richard", age => "12", location => "mars", forum_user => "xxxxx", forum_pass => "yyyyy", );` [download] you can pass that on to submit_form easily: `$mech->submit_form( form_name => $search_form, fields => \%fields, # pass reference to %fields );` [download] See also perldata and perlref "What should it profit a man, if he should win a flame war, yet lose his cool?"	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re: WWW::Mechanize with optional fields by shmem (Chancellor) on Jun 24, 2006 at 10:43 UTC
Given that each form field name must be unique in a form just use a hash reference: `my @names = qw(name age location); # add do this list whenever # make a hash reference and populate it @$fields{@names} = ( ... list of corresponding values ...);` [download] This expression may seem obscure, I'll explain it a bit. Consider: `# a normal hash assignment - scalar context $field{'name'} = 'Richard'; # a normal hash assignment - list context @field{qw(name age)} = qw(Richard 24);` [download] So, @$fields{@names} does this: using {} in the lvalue perl is told it's a hash, the {} takes keys the @ tells perl $fields is a reference, dereferences it and uses it in list context now you can assign it a list. Using `strict` you must declare the symbol $fields before accessing it: `use strict; my @names = qw(name age location); # add do this list whenever # make a hash reference and populate it my $fields = {}; # declare $fields being a hash reference @$fields{@names} = ( ... list of corresponding values ...);` [download] That way you can pass the hash reference directly to submit_form: `$mech->submit_form( form_name => $search_form, fields => $fields, } );` [download] The second question I cannot answer because I don't know how you do it... _($_=" "x(1<<5)."?\n".q·/)Oo. G°\ / /\_¯/(q / ---------------------------- \__(m.====·.(_("always off the crowd"))."· ");sub _{s./.($e="'Itrs `mnsgdq Gdbj O`qkdq")=~y/"-y/#-z/;$e.e && print}	[reply] [d/l] [select]