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

Monks... what to do to fix this error ???? the program & the error is below, 
Global symbol "$houtputfile" requires explicit package name at good.pl
+ line 12.
Global symbol "$pid" requires explicit package name at good.pl line 12
+.
Global symbol "%hfiles" requires explicit package name at good.pl line
+ 30.
Global symbol "%hfiles" requires explicit package name at good.pl line
+ 38.
Global symbol "%hfiles" requires explicit package name at good.pl line
+ 39.


use strict;
use warnings;

my $input_file = $ARGV[0];  #input file name
my $input_pid  = $ARGV[1];  #input pid number
my $input_string = $ARGV[2];  #input string to be searched

print "Usage:perl file.pl  <input file name> <input process id> <input
+ file string>" if (@ARGV != 3);

open (my $hfile, '<', "$input_file") || die("Unable to open the file $
+input_file\n");

open (my $houtputfile, '>', "$houtputfile.$pid") || die("Unable to ope
+n the file output.txt\n");

$hfile = *HFILE;


my %hFiles = ();
while (<$hfile>){  #read the file line by line

    my $line = $_;

    if ($line =~ /[DWEM]\s+.*?\s+(?:c|cm|M)\:($input_pid)\s+([^\.]+\.c
+)/s)
    {
        my $c_file = $2;
        my $pid = $1;

        if($input_string eq $c_file){   #check with input string and I
+f it matches

  #      print $houtputfile  "$line\n";  #write the output in a output
+ file
          $houtputfile = $hfiles{$pid};
  if($houtputfile) {
          print $houtputfile "$_\n";
  } else {
          print ("pid = $pid\n");
          open( HPIDFILE.$pid,">$houtputfile.$pid")
          #open( $hfiles{$pid},">$houtputfile.$pid")
                  or die("failed to open $houtputfile.$pid ");
            $hfiles{$pid} = *HPIDFILE.$pid;
       $houtputfile = $hfiles{$pid};
           print $houtputfile "$_";
  }

        }
    }
}

[download]

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: Requires explicit package name
by kennethk (Abbot) on Nov 28, 2008 at 06:06 UTC
    The warnings are being raised because you are using variables out of scope. For example, in your open statement, you call $houtputfile and $pid before declaring them with a "my" or, worse, giving them a value. I'd offer a fix, but I'm not sure what their values are supposed to be. Your %hfiles problems are easier to spot - perl is case sensitive, and you've declared %hFiles, not %hfiles.
[reply]
Re: Requires explicit package name
by brsaravan (Scribe) on Nov 28, 2008 at 06:05 UTC
    The stricture enforces the user to declare the variable before use.
    * Declare $pid first.
    * $houtputfile is a file handle it seems, but you are trying to concatenate with $pid.
    * what *HFILE refers to.
    * $hfiles{$pid} ----where is this "hfiles" variable defined.
    Now debug and rewrite your code.
[reply]
Re: Requires explicit package name
by Narveson (Chaplain) on Nov 28, 2008 at 06:10 UTC
    "Requires explicit package name" is the error message you get under strict when you have failed to declare a variable. I shared your confusion the first time I saw this message. The remedy is not to supply a package name, but to declare the variable with my.
[reply]
[d/l]
[select]
      The error is indeed misleading. use diagnostics; gives better info, fortunately.
[reply]
[d/l]

      so maybe the warning should be changed and spelled

       var foobar needs explicit my or possibly (in rare cases) an our (or use vars) declaration or explicit pkg qualification like $pkg::foobar cheers --stephan
[reply]
[d/l]
      Supplying a package name *is* a valid way to remedy this problem. 
      use strict;
$::some_var = "some value";
print $::some_var;

      [download]
      Works fine.
[reply]
[d/l]
        So does 
        no strict;
$some_var = "some value";
print $some_var;

        [download]

        Would we sincerely recommend either method of silencing the error messages in the original post?

[reply]
[d/l]

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