mel1rose has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

I'm trying to read a textfile that is broken up into several profiles. Each profile is separated by a blank line. It looks something like this: 
pos = 004 
2574
2633
2571
2566
0088,1491,2365
0088,1514,2134
0088,1531,2100
0088,1568,2081
0088,1631,2070
0088,1716,2013
0088,1818,1954
0088,1921,1917
0088,2019,1889
0088,2108,1859
0088,2193,1881
0088,2266,1907
0088,2339,1843
0088,2398,1876
0088,2453,1822
0088,2488,1849
AB: 01000050
T%: 0456
INR: 018017
ID: 00004115

pos = 007 
2470
2505
2484
2573
0088,1468,2406
0088,1473,2275
0088,1474,2143
0088,1482,2083
0088,1489,2009
0088,1510,1924
0088,1535,1965
0088,1573,1958
0088,1615,1935
0089,1667,1935
0088,1718,1935
0089,1770,1936
0088,1822,1943
0088,1869,1954
0089,1915,1965
0089,1961,1935
0089,1999,1932
0089,2034,1966
0089,2068,1942
0089,2098,1959
0089,2127,1976
0089,2152,1945
AB: 01000050
T%: 0725
INR: 018034
ID: 00004115

[download]
Sometimes these textfiles contatin several copies of the same profile. So I want to collapse this data into an array where inputting the same key erases the original value and replaces it with the current value so there's only one unique profile for each key. Here's the code that I've written thus far, but it isn't working at all. 
open(IN, "testB.txt") or die "Can't open testB.txt";
open(OUT, ">>testB8.txt")or die "Can't open the file for writing.\n";

%Array = ();            #Create an empty array

$/ = "" ;            #Enable paragraph mode
$* = 1;                #Enable multi-line strings

#Read each paragraph in as a string ($Profile).  Split the
#first line of the string so that the first line is the 
#$Key and the rest of the $Profile is the $Value.  Then 
#input these into the %Array.

while (<IN>) {
    $_ = $Profile;
    ($Key, $Value) = split(/\r/, $Profile, 2);
    %Array = ("$Key" => "$Value");
}

#For each $Key of the %Array, first sort the keys, then 
#print their associated values in the textfile OUT.

foreach $Key (sort(keys(%Array))) {
    print (OUT "$Array{$Key} \n");
}

[download]
Any and all help is MUCH appreciated!

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: Arrays and regular expressions
by Sifmole (Chaplain) on Apr 12, 2001 at 23:19 UTC
    Just real quick I notice this... 
    while (<IN>) {
    $_ = $Profile;
    ($Key, $Value) = split(/\r/, $Profile, 2);
    %Array = ("$Key" => "$Value");
}

    [download]

    The file is being read into $_ and you are then setting $_ = $Profile which I don't see defined or set any where. You then split $Profile which as far as I can tell is empty.

    As always "use strict;" Later, Sifmole

[reply]
[d/l]
Re: Arrays and regular expressions
by reyjrar (Hermit) on Apr 12, 2001 at 23:38 UTC
    given what you've said I'd try something like this: 
    #!/usr/bin/perl
use strict;

open IN, 'file';
open OUT, ">outfile";
my %HASH = ();
my @RUNNING = ();
my $INSIDE = "";        # keep track of where we are
while(local $_ = <IN>) {
        chomp;
        if(/^\s*$/) {
                # we have an empty line
                $HASH{$INSIDE} = @RUNNING if $INSIDE;
                @RUNNING = ();          # empty running now that its c
+opied
                $INSIDE = "";           # no longer inside anything
                next;                   # keep going
        } elsif(/^\s*(pos\s*\=\s*\d+)$/i) {
                # this should be the "header"
                $INSIDE = $1;
                next;
        } elsif($INSIDE) {
                push @RUNNING, $_;
        }
}
close IN;
for(sort keys %HASH) {
        print OUT "$_\n", map { $_ .= "\n"; } @{$HASH{$_}};
}
close OUT;

    [download]
    *shrugs* it passed strict and warnings.. but is untested.. also, if you're opening a BIG textfile.. IE megs large.. you might run into problems.. it'd get a tad more complex to fix that duplicate records problem with a large file but look at seek(), tell() and keeping records of where you are at the begining of each "id" in the OUT file.. have fun..

    -brad..
[reply]
[d/l]
Re: Arrays and regular expressions
by ton (Friar) on Apr 13, 2001 at 00:35 UTC
    Here's how I would do it, assuming that the 'pos' value in the first line is the key: 
    use strict;

my %hash;
my $entry;
my $line;
my $key;
open(INFILE, "data") || die;
while ($line = <INFILE>) {
    chomp($line);
    if ($line) {   # in an entry
        if (!$entry) {    # this is the first line
            $entry .= $line . "\n";
            ($key = $line) =~ s/\D//g;
        } else {
            $entry .= $line . "\n";
        }
    } else {       # left the entry
        $hash{$key} = $entry;
        $entry = "";
    }
}
close(INFILE);

open(OUTFILE, ">datax") || die;
foreach $key (sort(keys(%hash))) {
    print OUTFILE $hash{$key} . "\n";
}
close(OUTFILE);

    [download]
    Hope this helps...

    -Ton

    -----

    Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn
    The power of man...

[reply]
[d/l]
      Thanks everyone! It's working now! ::mel1rose::
[reply]

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