So, where is your problem?

This site is about learning and using Perl. It is is not a script writing site where you post your specifications and get fully functional scripts in return. So please, post the code you have written, and tell us where exactly you encounter problems and what you've tried so far to solve them and how it failed for you.

This is one of the reasons why I love this site. It very much seemed to me like a homework/interview question.
Before you go asking for help, at least try it yourself!
/\ Sierpinski

• use strict;
• use warnings;
• open files
• check each line of source file
  • If it matches set a found_it flag to 10
  • if found_it is set
    • print line to output file
    • decrement found_it
• That's it

Can your search term occur more than once in the file? If so, what do you want to happen when a second instance is fewer than ten lines after the first? Is it possible that a "Findme" occurs on the last line of the file and if so, what do you want to happen then? For example:

This is line1
At line 2. Did you Findme 
This is line3
This is line4
this is another Findme embedded in line 5
This is line 6
this is line 7
this is line 8
Line 9: yet another findme
line 10
line 11
line 12
line 13
line 14
line 15
line 16
line 17
line 18
line 19 is the 10th line after the next-to-last instance of searchterm
line 20
line 21
and so on...
line 23
24: last Findme
[download]

IMO, you'll need no more than beginner skills to write a script (solution OR attempt-at-a-solution STILL left to the OP) that produces this output:

At line 2. Did you Findme
This is line3
This is line4
this is another Findme embedded in line 5
This is line 6
this is line 7
this is line 8
Line 9: yet another findme
line 10
line 11
line 12
line 13
line 14
line 15
line 16
line 17
line 18
line 19 is the 10th line after the next-to-last instance of searchterm
24: last Findme

done
[download]

...but whether or not this is comensurate with your "requirement" (job? homework? other?) depends on the answers to the questions posed above.

• If so, a hint: after you deal with the I/O, think in terms of regexen.

guys guys guys....
spare me a thought :( I am just a naive finding my way into perl
I tried working something out but was nowhere, hence had to type the requirement
anyways, this is the code i tried..



#! /usr/local/bin/perl

open (TEXT_FILE, "file1.txt"); 

while ($line = <TEXT_FILE>) {
        if ($line =~ m/ERROR/) {
        
        $c = 0;
        
        while ($c <= 10)
        {
                $nextline = <TEXT_FILE> ;
            printf ("$nextline");
            $c = $c + 1;
        }
        }
}
close (TEXT_FILE);
[download]

and like you said vroom, if the search string is in multiple locations, I want to print all such instances, not just once..

That's a good start.

On quick inspection:

1. Your script won't print the first instance of "ERROR" so you may wish to add a print $line at line 7.
2. With that change, your script will print the first instance of "ERROR" but won't print the ten lines following a second instance, if that second instance is fewer than ten lines below the first. Is that your intent?
3. Is there a reason for using printf rather than a simple print?

You could use @array = open (TEXT_FILE, "file1.txt"); to read your file into an array and then test each element of the array rather than using while. That might make it easier to work out the logic needed to satisfy the "ten lines" requirement.

AND, read perldoc -f open for the three argument form of open (and always test the open: or die "Can't open file1.txt: $!\n";).

Life will also be easier if you use clear and consistent indenting (which of the various recommendations you follow is a matter of taste). Hint for posting here: "Preview, perview, preview! A string of spaces renders differently than a tab.

You'll get better answers if you tell in detail what "nowhere" means, in terms of output, error & warnings messages and a better set of sample data (see my previous questions: you've answered some of them, but left some crucial elements of your spec to our crystal balls - most of which are still broken).