Except, it still isn't working. I also get a

Use of uninitialized value $row in join or string at test3.pl line 80.
[download]

I thought maybe it was the location of the $in_port flag initialization - it should not be in the loop. But it's still not skipping the line nor is it setting the flag. I must have a test/condition problem. I'll look there. I'm pretty sure the code should look like this:

my $in_port;
$in_port = "false";
   foreach my $ts ($te->tables) {
   foreach my $row ($ts->rows) {
   if ($row ne "Ships in port or not reporting today:") # not a ship n
+ame; skip this and set the in_port flag for all remaining ships
      {
      $out_fh->print (join(',', @$row), ",", $in_port, "\n");
      }
      else {$in_port = "true"};
   }
 }
[download]

Contrast if ($row ne "Ships in ... with join(',', @$row)?

In the second example you are using $row as an array reference. In the first, as a string. To paraphrase someone, you can't just make it up and expect things to work :)

Try printing $row and @$row inside the second loop. It may give you a clue as to what you should be looking at to detect the condition. I suspect that you should be doing something along the lines of:

foreach my $row ($ts->rows) {
   if ($row->[ 3 ] ne "Ships in port or not reporting today:") {
   ...
[download]

But if you print the records to the screen, print join',', @$row; then you'll be able to see which element of $row contains the text you are looking for. (Remember arrays start counting from 0.)

---

Examine what is said, not who speaks -- Silence betokens consent -- Love the truth but pardon error.

"Science is about questioning the status quo. Questioning authority".

In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice.

"Too many [] have been sedated by an oppressive environment of political correctness and risk aversion."