Search string without using regexp

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

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: Search string without using regexp by zwon (Abbot) on Jun 09, 2012 at 10:46 UTC
Yes, see index	[reply]
Re^2: Search string without using regexp by cheekuperl (Monk) on Jun 09, 2012 at 12:11 UTC
Three word magic! Three words written by you are more impacting than the entire two big paragraphs written in the previous posts! Thanks!!	[reply]
Re^3: Search string without using regexp by Anonymous Monk on Jun 10, 2012 at 02:21 UTC
Three word magic! Three words written by you are more impacting than the entire two big paragraphs written in the previous posts! Thanks!! That is sad, those previous paragraphs really aren't big, and there is no magic involved, merely the basics (addition/subtraction). If I were you I would read Perl documentation documentation, Searching Perl Documentation, How to Read Perldocs, all part of Tutorials sections Understanding and Using PerlMonks, Getting Started with Perl, http://perldoc.perl.org/index-functions-by-cat.html#Functions-for-SCALARs-or-strings	[reply]
Re: Search string without using regexp by stevieb (Canon) on Jun 09, 2012 at 10:05 UTC
What do you want to achieve? How do I post a question effectively	[reply]
Re^2: Search string without using regexp by cheekuperl (Monk) on Jun 09, 2012 at 10:15 UTC
lol...i respect your opinion...but that what was asked to me in a job interview and i am wondering whether its possible. and your reply is making me believe you are someone who knows how to do it.	[reply]
Re^3: Search string without using regexp by stevieb (Canon) on Jun 09, 2012 at 10:23 UTC
You could say I am someone who knows how to do it... Given this is an interview question, I'm quite concerned to be honest, especially given your analysis on the future of Perl. If you are being interviewed and can't answer this, how are you qualified to provide analysis, particularly statistical on the usage of Perl? What exactly is it you want to know? Are you just looking for someone to give you a syntax answer so we can satisfy the requirement of some dev team director that doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground? ;) I'll be watching for further responses. For now, I don't have one. I'm sorry.	[reply]
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Re: Search string without using regexp by kcott (Archbishop) on Jun 09, 2012 at 12:37 UTC
Search and Replace: substr -- Ken	[reply]
Re^2: Search string without using regexp by cheekuperl (Monk) on Jun 09, 2012 at 14:55 UTC
mmmm...i think substr requires prior knowledge of position of substring. index seems to be the correct option to me. Please correct me if i am wrong.	[reply]
Re^3: Search string without using regexp by davido (Cardinal) on Jun 09, 2012 at 15:33 UTC
index lets you search a string quickly for an exact match, or find an exact match after some position, or walk the string finding each exact match (by advancing the starting position each time). substr will return a substring, which you could then programatically process and test for some condition if you want. If you want to find the first position in a string where a four character sequence looks a particular way after the digits are reversed, you might walk the string using substr, advancing the position after each check (a bad example, since it's cheaper to just reverse the whole string and then use index, subtracting four from the result). index is a more specific function, and substr is a more general function that can be incorporated into a more specific solution. Dave	[reply]
Re^3: Search string without using regexp by kcott (Archbishop) on Jun 10, 2012 at 19:21 UTC
++davido If `index()` fits the bill for whatever unspecified `m/.../` operations you are performing, then `substr()` might similarly prove useful for `s/.../.../` operations. -- Ken	[reply] [d/l] [select]