in reply to Re^4: read the filename column
in thread read the filename column

But the question remains: Would not 'A*' be a better unpacker for the final (i.e., right-most) field?

Better how? Yes, its more generic, but the record is fixed-width.

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Re^6: read the filename column
by AnomalousMonk (Archbishop) on Jul 10, 2011 at 16:20 UTC
    ... the record is fixed-width.

    Yes, but fixed to what width?

    That's the problem with specification-by-example, often used in PM postings because it is simply too tedious to include a complete, formal specification. One can infer from the example data of the OP that the width of the final field is 8 or 9 characters and is always 'roadtest'. (GrandFather uses 9; I'm not sure how you settled on 10.) But if this field is always 'roadtest' (i.e., is a constant), why bother to parse it at all?

    That's when my PP (Programmer's Paranoia) kicked in and I thought it would be better to assume only that the final field would have no embedded whitespace (made originally for my variable field width solution) and so 'A*' would be safer, therefore better.

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      That's the problem with specification-by-example ...That's when my PP (Programmer's Paranoia) kicked in and I thought it would be better to assume only...

      FWIW, I think its much ado about nothing :) the original poster learned about unpack, whether the example cut/paste works for OPs actual data doesn't matter -- the OP now knows enough to 1) use unpack 2) ask a follow up question

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