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

I'm trying to read a config file that will have something like the following information:

Product1
  property=value
  property2=value
Product2
  feature1
     property=value
     property2=value
  feature2
     property3=value
Product3
  feature1
     property=value
     property2=value

[download]

I need to read this file in and display it in a Perl Tk project. I'm just having a hard time figuring out how to keep track of the features because not all products have features.

@file = <IN>;
foreach(@file){
   if (/^TSS/){ # All product begin with TSS
      # Its a product
   }elseif ($_ =~ /=/){
      # get the property and value using split
   }else{
     # Its a feature???
   }
}

# Should I use something like:
$hash{$product}{$feature}{$property} = "value";
# or
$hash{$product}{$property} = "value";
$hash{$product}{feature} = "feature name"; # if the feature key is her
+e, there is a feature.
# but how do I keep properties listed after the correct feature!

[download]

Obviously some sort of Hash should do the trick but having hard time visualizing it. Any help is appreciated.

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: Reading Install type config file into hash
by BrowserUk (Patriarch) on Aug 06, 2012 at 21:05 UTC

    It depends a lot on how your code will process the resultant hash, but I'd consider adding a 'default' feature to those products that do not have features, just to make the code/hash structure consistent.

    You can always exclude it (the default feature) from displays, when it is the only feature.

    With the rise and rise of 'Social' network sites: 'Computers are making people easier to use everyday'
    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.

    The start of some sanity?
[reply]

      The following code works fine.

      sub readSetup {
   open IN, "<setup.ini" or die "cannot open setup.ini\n";
   @setupFile = <IN>;
   close IN;
   
   foreach (@setupFile)
   {
      chomp;      
      if (/^PROD/) {
         $Solution = $_;
         $Feature = 'none';         
         # Need to keep ordered list for viewing in UI
         push @Solutions, $Solution;         
      } elsif ( $_ =~ /=/ ) {      
         s/\s*=\s*/=/;
         ($property, $value) = split /=/, $_;         
         $Installs{$Solution}{$Feature}{$property} = "$value";      
      } else {
         $Feature = "$_";      
      }      
   }
}

sub print_it {
   for $Solution (@Solutions) {
      print "$Solution\n";
      for $Feature ( keys %{ $Installs{$Solution} }) {
         $tab = "\t";
         if ($Feature ne "none"){
            print "$tab$Feature\n";
         } else {
            $tab = "\t\t";
         }
         for my $property ( keys %{ $Installs{$Solution}{$Feature} }) 
+{      
           print "$tab$property = $Installs{$Solution}{$Feature}{$prop
+erty}\n";
         }
      }
      print "\n";
   }
}

      [download]

      Is there a way of displaying it in the order it came in without using Tie::IxHash module. That is not on my system and will have to put in a ticket to have the module installed. My fear is that users of this script may not have it installed as well and thus would have to got through the same issue.

      Running the above code on this file:

      PRODUCT1
   FEATURE1_PRODUCT1
      PROPERTY1_FEATURE1_PRODUCT1=VALUE1
      PROPERTY2_FEATURE1_PRODUCT1=VALUE2
      PROPERTY3_FEATURE1_PRODUCT1=VALUE3      
PRODUCT2
      PROPERTY1_PRODUCT2=VALUE1
      PROPERTY2_PRODUCT2=VALUE2
PRODUCT3
   FEATURE1_PRODUCT3
      PROPERTY1_FEATURE1_PRODUCT3=VALUE1
      PROPERTY2_FEATURE1_PRODUCT3=VALUE2
      PROPERTY3_FEATURE1_PRODUCT3=VALUE3
   FEATURE2_PRODUCT3
      PROPERTY1_FEATURE1_PRODUCT3=VALUE1      
   FEATURE3_PRODUCT3
      PROPERTY1_FEATURE1_PRODUCT3=VALUE1
      PROPERTY2_FEATURE1_PRODUCT3=VALUE2
      PROPERTY3_FEATURE1_PRODUCT3=VALUE3           
PRODUCT4
      PROPERTY1_PRODUCT4=VALUE1
      PROPERTY2_PRODUCT4=VALUE2
PRODUCT5

      [download]

      produces this result:

      PRODUCT1
        FEATURE1_PRODUCT1
                PROPERTY2_FEATURE1_PRODUCT1 = VALUE2
                PROPERTY1_FEATURE1_PRODUCT1 = VALUE1
                PROPERTY3_FEATURE1_PRODUCT1 = VALUE3

PRODUCT2
        PROPERTY1_PRODUCT2 = VALUE1
        PROPERTY2_PRODUCT2 = VALUE2

PRODUCT3
        FEATURE2_PRODUCT3
                PROPERTY1_FEATURE1_PRODUCT3 = VALUE1
        FEATURE1_PRODUCT3
                PROPERTY1_FEATURE1_PRODUCT3 = VALUE1
                PROPERTY3_FEATURE1_PRODUCT3 = VALUE3
                PROPERTY2_FEATURE1_PRODUCT3 = VALUE2
        FEATURE3_PRODUCT3
                PROPERTY1_FEATURE1_PRODUCT3 = VALUE1
                PROPERTY3_FEATURE1_PRODUCT3 = VALUE3
                PROPERTY2_FEATURE1_PRODUCT3 = VALUE2

PRODUCT4
        PROPERTY2_PRODUCT4 = VALUE2
        PROPERTY1_PRODUCT4 = VALUE1

PRODUCT5

      [download]

      As you can see - the results are unordered.

[reply]
[d/l]
[select]
        Is there a way of displaying it in the order it came in without using Tie::IxHash module. That is not on my system and will have to put in a ticket to have the module installed.

        Do you have to have a ticket to install your code on your machine?

        Copy & paste the code into your own source file; and tell the controlling powers that you've done so.

        As you can see - the results are unordered.

        That is the nature of hashes. The use-cases for hashes don't require (or benefit) from them being ordered. Humans like things ordered, but programs don't give a damn.

        And if all you want to do is present the same information back to the users in the same form, just print the file to their screen.

        But if you really must remember the order, just make a note of it as you go:

        #! perl -slw
use strict;

my %ini;
my( $product, $feature );
while( <DATA> ) {
    chomp;
    if( /\s+(\S+)=(\S+)/ ) {
        $ini{ $product // die "Malformed ini at:$." }
            { $feature // 'none' }
            { $1 } = $2;
        push @{ $ini{ $product }{ $feature // 'none' }{ order } }, $1;
    }
    elsif( /^PROD/ ) {
        push @{ $ini{ $product }{ order } }, 'none'
            if $product and not exists $ini{ $product }{ order };
        $product = $_;
        push @{ $ini{ order } }, $product;
        undef $feature;
    }
    else {
        /^\s+(\S+)/ and $feature = $1;
        push @{ $ini{ $product }{order} }, $feature;
    }
}

for my $product ( @{ $ini{ order } } ) {
    print $product;
    for my $feature ( @{ $ini{ $product }{ order } } ) {
        print "\t", $feature if $feature ne 'none';
        for my $type ( @{ $ini{ $product }{ $feature }{ order } } ) {
            print "\t\t$type=$ini{ $product }{ $feature }{ $type }";
        }
    }
}

__DATA__
PRODUCT1
   FEATURE1_PRODUCT1
      PROPERTY1_FEATURE1_PRODUCT1=VALUE1
      PROPERTY2_FEATURE1_PRODUCT1=VALUE2
      PROPERTY3_FEATURE1_PRODUCT1=VALUE3
PRODUCT2
      PROPERTY1_PRODUCT2=VALUE1
      PROPERTY2_PRODUCT2=VALUE2
PRODUCT3
   FEATURE1_PRODUCT3
      PROPERTY1_FEATURE1_PRODUCT3=VALUE1
      PROPERTY2_FEATURE1_PRODUCT3=VALUE2
      PROPERTY3_FEATURE1_PRODUCT3=VALUE3
   FEATURE2_PRODUCT3
      PROPERTY1_FEATURE1_PRODUCT3=VALUE1
   FEATURE3_PRODUCT3
      PROPERTY1_FEATURE1_PRODUCT3=VALUE1
      PROPERTY2_FEATURE1_PRODUCT3=VALUE2
      PROPERTY3_FEATURE1_PRODUCT3=VALUE3
PRODUCT4
      PROPERTY1_PRODUCT4=VALUE1
      PROPERTY2_PRODUCT4=VALUE2
PRODUCT5

        [download]

        Produces:

        [18:17:59.55] C:\test>junk44
PRODUCT1
        FEATURE1_PRODUCT1
                PROPERTY1_FEATURE1_PRODUCT1=VALUE1
                PROPERTY2_FEATURE1_PRODUCT1=VALUE2
                PROPERTY3_FEATURE1_PRODUCT1=VALUE3
PRODUCT2
                PROPERTY1_PRODUCT2=VALUE1
                PROPERTY2_PRODUCT2=VALUE2
PRODUCT3
        FEATURE1_PRODUCT3
                PROPERTY1_FEATURE1_PRODUCT3=VALUE1
                PROPERTY2_FEATURE1_PRODUCT3=VALUE2
                PROPERTY3_FEATURE1_PRODUCT3=VALUE3
        FEATURE2_PRODUCT3
                PROPERTY1_FEATURE1_PRODUCT3=VALUE1
        FEATURE3_PRODUCT3
                PROPERTY1_FEATURE1_PRODUCT3=VALUE1
                PROPERTY2_FEATURE1_PRODUCT3=VALUE2
                PROPERTY3_FEATURE1_PRODUCT3=VALUE3
PRODUCT4
                PROPERTY1_PRODUCT4=VALUE1
                PROPERTY2_PRODUCT4=VALUE2
PRODUCT5

        [download]
        With the rise and rise of 'Social' network sites: 'Computers are making people easier to use everyday'
        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.

        The start of some sanity?
[reply]
[d/l]
[select]

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