in reply to Compare Arrays, Return Values

Sounds as if you want to use a hash.

Read the both-values-file and construct a hash whose keys are the alpha-numeric field and the values are the numeric field. Process the other file against the hash and write to the result file.

Tricky, huh ? Or have I missed something ?

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Re^2: Compare Arrays, Return Values
by de2425 (Sexton) on Aug 28, 2008 at 15:01 UTC
    That's about the sum of it. I just am at a complete loss for what to do.
[reply]

      OK. Well, first use: (a) use strict; (b) use warnings; (c) my variables.

      Now, in your input loop you have: 

        @t = split(/\t/, $_) ;
  $t[4]= $AB{[4]} ;

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      which is a horrible mess :-( What you want to do is: 
        $AB{$alpha_numeric_field} = $numeric_field ;

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      where the two fields are elements of @t, I cannot tell which.

      The output process contains: 

        if ($var1[2] and exists $Ab{$var1[2]}) {
    print OUT "$var1[0]\t$var1[1]\t$var1[2]\t$AB[4]\n" ;
  }

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      which looks as though it would be OK, but for $AB[4], which ought to be $AB{$var1[2]}. (Oh. And it should be $AB{...} in the if !).

      use strict would have picked up the $Ab{} mistake (undefined hash %Ab) and the use of $AB[4] (undefined array @AB). It would not, however, have picked up $AB{[4]}, which is the kind of honest-to-goodness inscrutability that Perl is justly famous for, and which one grows to be deeply fond of.

      BTW, rather than: 

        @var1 = split(/\t/,$_) ;

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      you can write (for example): 
        ($field_name, $other_field, $further_field, ...) = split(...) ;

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      then you have each field in a variable with a meaningfull name -- more friendly than $var1[2] etc.

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[d/l]
[select]
        Thank you so very much!!! This worked like a charm. I cannot tell you how greatful I am. I knew it had to be something simple that my brain wasn't registering for some reason. Thank you again.
[reply]
      I don't mean to be rude, but you've just described the problem. How can you be at a loss as to what to do?

      Open file 1
      • For each record in file 1
        • break the record into fields
        • update a hash using Product Number and Produce Name as the keys, with a value of Univers ID

      Open file 2
      • For each record in file 2
        • break the record into fields
        • Is there a hash with Product Number and Produce Name as the keys?
          • If so, write out the keys and the value
[reply]
        I understand what you're saying but I still am unsure as to how the appropriate "UniversalID" values will be written along with the "ProductID" values. That is where my confusion is coming in.
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