elseif syntax error

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

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Re: elseif syntax error by jakobi (Pilgrim) on Oct 27, 2009 at 14:18 UTC
Please re-check your indenting and curlies ({,}). If the problem still isn't visually obvious for you, show us your current code again and tell us what `if` the `elsif` should come after. In contrast to C, Perl uses always the curlies in `if () {...} elsif (...) {...} else {...}`. cu & HTH, Peter -- hints may be untested unless stated otherwise; use with caution & understanding.	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re: elseif syntax error by keszler (Priest) on Oct 27, 2009 at 14:29 UTC
Your regex `/\.*$/` will always match: it's looking for zero or more '.' characters at the end of the string. If you're attempting to eliminate the '.' and '..' directories you want: `if (!/^\.+$/) {` (String from start to end contains one or more '.' characters only)	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^2: elseif syntax error by gmargo (Hermit) on Oct 27, 2009 at 14:44 UTC
I think perhaps you meant `if (!/^\.{1,2}$/) {` [download] or `if (!/^\.\.?$/) {` [download] unless you're trying to avoid all entries that consist only of dots. ("...." is a valid name)	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^3: elseif syntax error by keszler (Priest) on Oct 27, 2009 at 14:55 UTC
Confused. Inspiration: `$ echo 'wtf' > ... $ ls -l ... -rw-r--r-- 1 me me 4 Oct 27 10:50 ... $ cat ... wtf $` [download] Enlightened.	[reply] [d/l]
Re^4: elseif syntax error by jakobi (Pilgrim) on Oct 27, 2009 at 15:02 UTC
Re^2: elseif syntax error by Anonymous Monk on Oct 27, 2009 at 15:20 UTC
`Can't cd to (./test/) test test test test: No such file or directory at e:\path\myfiles\perl\filename_spaces2.pl line 7` [download] The code is fine it is not completely "recursive" someone of you got some hint how to go down in every subdirectory? If i start it a second time it is working ... On first attempt the directory tree is (i got several space containing files below E:\temp: `#Perl should find spaces and replace them with "-" # use warnings; use File::Copy; use File::Find; find(\&rename_txts, "."); #Pfade ... find(\&rename_txts, "./txt2/"); sub rename_txts { if (!/^\.+$/) { my $new_name = $_; $new_name =~ y/ /-/; print "$File::Find::name to $new_name\n"; print "$_ \n"; move $_, $new_name; } }` [download] The result is: "E:\temp\test\test test test test"\Files with spaces ... 2nd attempt: "E:\temp\test\test-test-test-test"Files-with-spaces... so the 2nd (or depending on the number of subdirectories run is ok) Thx for all your help so far btw: The purpose is to rename all the files on a network drive to proper names without spaces ...	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^3: elseif syntax error by gmargo (Hermit) on Oct 27, 2009 at 16:07 UTC
You don't need recursion, because the "`find`" function is traversing the directory structure for you. The errors you see are due to renaming of a directory before it is finished being used. Try "`finddepth`" instead of "`find`". The "`finddepth`" routine will process a directory's contents before the directory itself.	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re: elseif syntax error by GrandFather (Saint) on Oct 28, 2009 at 00:24 UTC
I find it helps clean up code a lot to use early exits. Consider using: `sub someSub { if (some condition) { ... return; } if (some other condition) { ... return; } }` [download] instead of: `sub someSub { if (some condition) { ... } elsif (some other condition) { ... } }` [download] Despite taking a few more lines the first version makes it much clearer what the conditions are for some task to be performed and makes the exit conditions much clearer. This technique can often collapse deeply nested conditional code to a single level. The same technique can be applied in loops to take early leave of the current iteration (using next) or terminate the loop early (using last). True laziness is hard work	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^2: elseif syntax error by schetchik (Beadle) on Oct 28, 2009 at 12:53 UTC
But if you use multiple if both blocks can be executed, and in case of using "elsif" construction only one block is executed. Or not? :)	[reply]
Re^3: elseif syntax error by GrandFather (Saint) on Oct 28, 2009 at 18:46 UTC
Look again. Not if you use an early exit at the end of each block. The whole point of the technique is to use an early exit at the end of each block to avoid the need to nest blocks and allow else blocks to turn into a simple unindented block of code. True laziness is hard work	[reply]
Re: elseif syntax error by biohisham (Priest) on Oct 27, 2009 at 14:38 UTC
You haven't closed the block before starting the "elsif(){}", your code skeleton in the subroutine should've probably looked like the following pseudo: `sub rename_texts{ if(){ }elsif(){ } }` [download] Consider perltidy for proper indentation, here is an introduction Excellence is an Endeavor of Persistence. Chance Favors a Prepared Mind.	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^2: elseif syntax error by wfsp (Abbot) on Oct 27, 2009 at 15:32 UTC
I think I'd prefer `sub rename_texts{ if(){ } elsif(){ } }` [download]	[reply] [d/l]