in reply to Regex strings, deg:mm:ss, and all that

You've already got some ideas for parsing the input. For the conversion step, you could reach for CPAN and Geo::Coordinates::DecimalDegrees. 

use strict;
use warnings;

use Geo::Coordinates::DecimalDegrees;

my ( $degrees, $minutes, $seconds ) = ( 23, 34, 6 );

my $decimal_degrees = dms2decimal( $degrees, $minutes, $seconds );

printf "%d:%d:%d => %.5f\n", $degrees, $minutes, $seconds, $decimal_de
+grees;

( $degrees, $minutes, $seconds ) = decimal2dms( $decimal_degrees );

printf "%.5f => %d:%d:%d\n", $decimal_degrees, $degrees, $minutes, $se
+conds;

[download]
Output: 
23:34:6 => 23.56833
23.56833 => 23:34:5

[download]

Note that if precision is important you might want to peek at the code and run some tests. For the example above, a round trip conversion from DDMMSS => decimal degrees => DDMMSS results in a one second difference.

Update: Whups. The printf pattern isn't quite right. Many thanks to BrowserUk++ for catching the error and for providing a much better pattern: %d:%02d:%02.f

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re^2: Regex strings, deg:mm:ss, and all that
by BrowserUk (Patriarch) on Mar 23, 2008 at 04:10 UTC
    Note that if precision is important you might want to peek at the code and run some tests. For the example above, a round trip conversion from DDMMSS => decimal degrees => DDMMSS results in a one second difference.

    The problem is with your use of sprintf, or rather %d. 

    use strict;
use warnings;

use Geo::Coordinates::DecimalDegrees;

my ( $degrees, $minutes, $seconds ) = ( 23, 34, 6 );

my $decimal_degrees = dms2decimal( $degrees, $minutes, $seconds );

printf "%d:%02d:%02.f => %.5f\n", 
    $degrees, $minutes, $seconds, $decimal_degrees;

( $degrees, $minutes, $seconds ) = decimal2dms( $decimal_degrees );

printf "%.5f => %d:%02d:%02.f\n", 
    $decimal_degrees, $degrees, $minutes, $seconds;

__END__
c:\test>junk5
23:34:06 => 23.56833
23.56833 => 23:34:06

    [download]

    The module doesn't int the seconds, allowing for input and output of fractional seconds. If you don't want the fractions, you should use %.f rather than %d. And while your at it, it's conventional to include leading zeros on coordinates, hence %d:%02d:%02.f.

    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.
[reply]
[d/l]
[select]

In Section Seekers of Perl Wisdom