in reply to problems splitting ugly input data

That one almost works, except that I end up with an extra (empty) value in $stuff2[0],

That's because using split there will always be an implied empty field preceding the first tag. You could just shift it off the array before building your hash.

Personally, I think I'd use m/// for this: 

#! perl -slw
use strict;
use Data::Dump qw[ pp ]; $Data::Dump::WIDTH = 50;

my %hash = do{ local $/; <DATA> } =~ m[(TAG\d=)\s+(.+?)(?=TAG|\Z)]gsm;

pp \%hash;

__DATA__
TAG1= data
TAG2= more data
TAG3= even more data that sometimes has = and
runs on to more
than one line
TAG4= still more

[download]

Produces:

c:\test>junk15
{
  "TAG1=" => "data\n",
  "TAG2=" => "more data\n",
  "TAG3=" => "even more data that sometimes has = and\nruns on to more
+\nthan one line\n",
  "TAG4=" => "still more",
}

[download]
Examine what is said, not who speaks -- Silence betokens consent -- Love the truth but pardon error.
"Science is about questioning the status quo. Questioning authority".
In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice.

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Re^2: problems splitting ugly input data
by Anonymous Monk on Dec 23, 2010 at 00:54 UTC
    Nice. Thank you.
    That's because using split there will always be an implied empty field preceding the first tag.
    Yes, I have re-learned that many times.

    Would it be OK if I up the ante a bit? The tags are really not so well structured. They are things like HOSTNAME, CONTACT, .... And my mojo ain't workin' quite well enough to see how to adapt your solution to 10-15 tags of that ilk (at least I don't see how to do it in a nice, tidy way).

[reply]
[d/l]
      Would it be OK if I up the ante a bit? The tags are really not so well structured. They are things like HOSTNAME, CONTACT, ....

      Sure: 

      #! perl -slw
use strict;
use Data::Dump qw[ pp ]; $Data::Dump::WIDTH = 50;

my $reTags = join '|', map quotemeta, qw[
    HOSTNAME CONTACT TAG1 TAG2 TAG3 TAG4
];

$reTags = qr[$reTags];

my %hash = do{
    local $/;
    <DATA>
} =~ m[($reTags)=\s+(.+?)(?=$reTags|\Z)]gsm;

pp \%hash;

__DATA__
TAG1= data
TAG2= more data
HOSTNAME= fred
TAG3= even more data that sometimes has = and
runs on to more
than one line
CONTACT= Wiley Coyote
Hiesenberg Road
The Desert
TAG4= still more

      [download]

      Produces:

      c:\test>junk15
{
  CONTACT  => "Wiley Coyote\nHiesenberg Road\nThe Desert\n",
  HOSTNAME => "fred\n",
  TAG1     => "data\n",
  TAG2     => "more data\n",
  TAG3     => "even more data that sometimes has = and\nruns on to mor
+e\nthan one line\n",
  TAG4     => "still more",
}

      [download]
      Examine what is said, not who speaks -- Silence betokens consent -- Love the truth but pardon error.
      "Science is about questioning the status quo. Questioning authority".
      In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice.
[reply]
[d/l]
[select]
        Thank you, again. Those are the kinds of things I was trying to come up with on my own. So I learned (several) something(s) in this.

        Cheers.

[reply]

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