Seeking some noob wisdom with XML::Simple

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

I am trying to parse the following kind of data structure:

$VAR1 = {
          'ID' => 'booshoe37',
          'ut_response' => [
                             {
                               'friend_list' => {
                                                  'friend' => [
                                                                {
                                                                  'fri
+end_count' => '97',
                                                                  'use
+r' => '4Article1',
                                                                  'vid
+eo_upload_count' => '0',
                                                                  'fav
+orite_count' => '26'
                                                                },
                                                                {
                                                                  'fri
+end_count' => '29',
                                                                  'use
+r' => 'Annberly14',
                                                                  'vid
+eo_upload_count' => '6',
                                                                  'fav
+orite_count' => '255'
                                                                },
                                                                {
                                                                  'fri
+end_count' => '97',
                                                                  'use
+r' => 'DamiansChannel',
                                                                  'vid
+eo_upload_count' => '3',
                                                                  'fav
+orite_count' => '21'
                                                                },
                                                                {
                                                                  'fri
+end_count' => '3',
                                                                  'use
+r' => 'MaddieEgan',
                                                                  'vid
+eo_upload_count' => '1',
                                                                  'fav
+orite_count' => '0'
                                                                },
...
[download]

i'd like to be able to iterate through each of the entries in the 'friend' field, and handle each individually. the problem is, i have no idea how to do so. There is a difficult number of references here, and i have no idea what to foreach. can anyone help?

Comment on Seeking some noob wisdom with XML::Simple Download Code

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Re: Seeking some noob wisdom with XML::Simple by bobf (Monsignor) on Feb 27, 2008 at 04:47 UTC
`foreach my $friendref ( @{ $VAR1->{ut_response}[0]{friend_list}{friend +} } ) { print "Hi $friendref->{user}\n"; }` [download] meets your requirements, but it will benefit you in the long run to learn about references. See perlreftut, perldsc, and perlref for starters. Our Tutorials page has a section entitled Data Types and Variables, which will also help. Update: Complex data structures can be tricky to wrap your head around at first. It might be easier to understand by breaking the solution into steps. Here is one way you could think about the goo in the foreach line, above: `@{ # the array referenced by: $VAR1-> # dereference $VAR {ut_response} # then get the value of the hash key 'ut_respo +nse' [0] # then get the 0th element of that array {friend_list} # then get the value of the hash key 'friend_l +ist' {friend} # then get the value of the hash key 'friend' }` [download] Each one of those steps could be performed individually using temporary variables: `my $ut_aref = $VAR1->{ut_response}; my $href = $ut_aref->[0]; my $flist_href = $href->{friend_list}; my $f_aref = $flist_href->{friend}; foreach my $friendref ( @{ $f_aref } ) ...` [download]	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re: Seeking some noob wisdom with XML::Simple by hipowls (Curate) on Feb 27, 2008 at 04:37 UTC
With deep structures like this you can use a temporary variable to access the bit you are interested in `my $friends = $VAR1->{ut_response}[0]{friend_list}{friend}; foreach my $friend ( @{ $friends } ) { ... }` [download]	[reply] [d/l]