Using a hash to store complex data

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

I have to create a series of data extracts, based on unique unit Ids. Each unit Id can have one or multiple events related to it, and I was trying to use a hash of hashes to store the data. (running Perl 5.8.8)

When I run the code below, it is correct except for unit number 1234567890 - then I only get the 'PHB' event (and not the 'CNN' event)

What is the correct way to build out this data storage? I know that the inner hash is not allowing the duplicate events, so does that mean I have to have a hash of arrays?

+---------------------------------------+
|            |   Event   | Date/Time 1  |
|            |    CNN    | Date/Time 2  |
|            |           | (etc)        |
|            +-----------+------------- |
|            |   Event   | Date/Time 1  |
|  unique    |    PHB    | Date/Time 2  |
|   unit #   |           | (etc)        |
|            +-----------+------------- |
|            |   Event   | Date/Time 1  |
|            |    CL     | Date/Time 2  |
|            |           | (etc)        |
|            +-----------+------------- |
|            |   Event   | Date/Time 1  |
|            |   SWAP    | Date/Time 2  |
|            |           | (etc)        |
+------------+-----------+--------------+
|            |   Event   | Date/Time 1  |
|            |    CNN    | Date/Time 2  |
|            |           | (etc)        |
|            +-----------+------------- |
| another    |   Event   | Date/Time 1  |
|  unique    |    PHB    | Date/Time 2  |
|  unit #    |           | (etc)        |
|            +-----------+------------- |
|            |   Event   | Date/Time 1  |
|            |    CL     | Date/Time 2  |
|            |           | (etc)        |
|            +-----------+------------- |
|            |   Event   | Date/Time 1  |
|            |   SWAP    | Date/Time 2  |
|            |           | (etc)        |
+---------------------------------------+
[download]

Thank you for any help that you are able to provide!!

#!/usr/bin/perl
use strict;
use warnings;
use Data::Dumper;

use vars
  qw(%HoH $field $unitNum $timestmp %hash $key);

# seed the hash with some data
%HoH = (
    8675309121 => {
            SWAPS => ["11/20/2009 12:43:00"],
    },
    5432129876 => {
            CNM => [ "11/20/2009 00:00:00" ],
            PHB => [ "11/20/2009 00:01:00", "11/20/2009 00:02:00" ],
    },
);
print Dumper( %HoH );

# reads sample data
while(<DATA>){
  # get a line of data
  chomp;
  my ($unit_num, $event_nm, $event_date) = split(/,/);

  %hash = (
             $unit_num => {
                $event_nm => [ $event_date ],
   },
  );

  @HoH{keys %hash} = values %hash 
}

print Dumper( %HoH );

__END__
1234567890,CNN,11/20/2009 00:01:00
1234567890,PHB,11/20/2009 00:01:02
8887776543,CL,11/20/2009 11:09:00
[download]

Comment on Using a hash to store complex data Select or Download Code

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: Using a hash to store complex data by ikegami (Patriarch) on Nov 24, 2009 at 16:48 UTC
`%hash` only has one key (how useless!), so `@HoH{keys %hash} = values %hash` [download] is the same as `$HoH{$unit_num} = $hash{$unit_num};` [download] As you can clearly see now, you completely replace all existing data for $unit_num every time you find a new record for $unit_num. Change `%hash = ( $unit_num => { $event_nm => [ $event_date ], }, ); @HoH{keys %hash} = values %hash` [download] to `push @{ $HoH{$unit_num}{$event_nm} }, $event_date` [download] Thanks to autovivification, the above is short for `$HoH{$unit_num} \|\|= {}; $HoH{$unit_num}{$event_nm} \|\|= []; push @{ $HoH{$unit_num}{$event_nm} }, $event_date;` [download] Tip: Don't pass hashes and arrays to `Dumper`. Pass references to them: `print Dumper( \%HoH );` [download]	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re: Using a hash to store complex data by toolic (Bishop) on Nov 24, 2009 at 17:04 UTC
Others have provided good answers. Here are some relevant references: HASHES OF ARRAYS References quick reference	[reply]
Re: Using a hash to store complex data by Anonymous Monk on Nov 24, 2009 at 16:50 UTC
change `%hash = ( $unit_num => { $event_nm => [ $event_date ], }, ); @HoH{keys %hash} = values %hash` [download] to `push @{$HoH{$unit_num}{$event_nm}}, $event_date;` [download]	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re: Using a hash to store complex data by TJRandall (Sexton) on Nov 24, 2009 at 20:28 UTC
Thank you, Monks! I appreciate the help!	[reply]