Function Confusion

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

Hello everyone, Ive run into some problems compiling my perl script and if anyone can assist me to compile this function, I would greatly appreciate it.

sub fireball{
    
    my $uint32_t = \buffer
    my $word_count
    my $bias
    (
            checksum = bias
        while(word_count)
            {
                checksum += \buffer
                word_count--
                buffer++
            }
        return checksum
    )
[download]

The errors that I'm getting are "syntax error at test.pl line 8, near "buffer my "

Global symbol "$word_count" requires explicit package name at test.pl line 9."

Thanks for your help!

Comment on Function Confusion Download Code

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Re: Function Confusion by ikegami (Patriarch) on Jul 09, 2009 at 21:03 UTC
All the semicolons are missing. Most variables are missing their sigil (dollar sign). A few variables are undeclared. The arguments are passed via undeclared/global variables. `uint32_t` is an odd variable name, and it's not used. Sums of references aren't very useful. Surely a bug. I hope you're using `use strict;` and `use warnings;`. Update: Added points.	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^2: Function Confusion by Anonymous Monk on Jul 09, 2009 at 21:20 UTC
Haha, thanks. that was a careless mistake.	[reply]
Re: Function Confusion by mzedeler (Pilgrim) on Jul 09, 2009 at 22:32 UTC
Try writing a very small script that works. Extend it in small steps until it does what you want, where you run it each time you have added a line. You could start with this one: `use strict; use warnings; sub fireball { my $bias = shift; print "Bias: $bias\n"; } fireball(2);` [download]	[reply] [d/l]
Re: Function Confusion by Anonymous Monk on Jul 09, 2009 at 21:31 UTC
Actually, I ran into a few other syntax errors. If anyone can help. `sub fireball{ my $uint32_t = \buffer; my $word_count; my $bias; ( uint23_t checksum = $bias while($word_count); { checksum += \buffer word_count-- buffer++ } return checksum )` [download] Im getting an syntax errors near $bias and buffer++. do i need semicolons after these, because when i put them in, it still does not work. Thanks.	[reply] [d/l]
Re^2: Function Confusion by moritz (Cardinal) on Jul 09, 2009 at 21:34 UTC
`uint23_t checksum = $bias` is not Perl syntax. and `\` is not a sigil. And `checksum` and `word_count` and `buffer` still don't have sigils.	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^2: Function Confusion by stevemayes (Scribe) on Jul 10, 2009 at 05:53 UTC
your syntax on the while loop is still incorrect. You have: `while ($string_tested); { statement statement statement }` [download] It should read like this: `while (test) { statement0; statement1; statement2; }` [download] I echo the approach suggested by mzedeler and also that you have a look at the tutorials section. Oh and always `use strict; use warnings;`.	[reply] [d/l] [select]