Open and parsing a file with array of hashes!?

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

Hi Monks!
I have a file called weather.txt that looks like this:

$VAR1 = [
          {
            'xml_api_reply' => {
                                 '-version' => '1',
                                 'weather' => {
                                                '-row' => '0',
                                                'current_conditions' =
+> {
                                                                      
+    'icon' => {
                                                                      
+                '-data' => '/ig/images/weather/mostly_cloudy.gif'
                                                                      
+              },
                                                                      
+    'temp_f' => {
                                                                      
+                  '-data' => '73'
                                                                      
+                },
                                                                      
+    'temp_c' => {
                                                                      
+                  '-data' => '23'
                                                                      
+                },
                                                                      
+    'wind_condition' => {
                                                                      
+                          '-data' => 'Wind: NW at 6 mph'
                                                                      
+                        },
                                                                      
+    'humidity' => {
                                                                      
+                    '-data' => 'Humidity: 73%'
                                                                      
+                  },
                                                                      
+    'condition' => {
                                                                      
+                     '-data' => 'Mostly Cloudy'
                                                                      
+                   }
                                                                      
+  },
,
                                                'forecast_information'
+ => {
                                                                      
+      'forecast_date' => {
                                                                      
+                           '-data' => '2012-08-16'
                                                                      
+                         },
                                                                      
+      'city' => {
                                                                      
+                  '-data' => 'Miami, FL'
                                                                      
+                },
                                                                      
+      'latitude_e6' => {
                                                                      
+                         '-data' => ''
                                                                      
+                       },
                                                                      
+      'postal_code' => {
                                                                      
+                         '-data' => '02151'
                                                                      
+                       },
                                                                      
+      'current_date_time' => {
                                                                      
+                               '-data' => '2012-08-16 12:54:00 +0000'
                                                                      
+                             },
                                                                      
+      'longitude_e6' => {
                                                                      
+                          '-data' => ''
                                                                      
+                        },
                                                                      
+      'unit_system' => {
                                                                      
+                         '-data' => 'US'
                                                                      
+                       }
                                                                      
+    },
                                              }
                               }
          },
          {
            'xml_api_reply' => {
                                 '-version' => '1',
                                 'weather' => {
                                                '-row' => '0',
                                                'current_conditions' =
+> {
                                                                      
+    'icon' => {
                                                                      
+                '-data' => '/ig/images/weather/mostly_cloudy.gif'
                                                                      
+              },
                                                                      
+    'temp_f' => {
                                                                      
+                  '-data' => '73'
                                                                      
+                },
                                                                      
+    'temp_c' => {
                                                                      
+                  '-data' => '23'
                                                                      
+                },
                                                                      
+    'wind_condition' => {
                                                                      
+                          '-data' => 'Wind: NW at 6 mph'
                                                                      
+                        },
                                                                      
+    'humidity' => {
                                                                      
+                    '-data' => 'Humidity: 73%'
                                                                      
+                  },
                                                                      
+    'condition' => {
                                                                      
+                     '-data' => 'Mostly Cloudy'
                                                                      
+                   }
                                                                      
+  },

                                                'forecast_information'
+ => {
                                                                      
+      'forecast_date' => {
                                                                      
+                           '-data' => '2012-08-16'
                                                                      
+                         },
                                                                      
+      'city' => {
                                                                      
+                  '-data' => 'Boston, MA'
                                                                      
+                },
                                                                      
+      'latitude_e6' => {
                                                                      
+                         '-data' => ''
                                                                      
+                       },
                                                                      
+      'postal_code' => {
                                                                      
+                         '-data' => '01908'
                                                                      
+                       },
                                                                      
+      'current_date_time' => {
                                                                      
+                               '-data' => '2012-08-16 12:54:00 +0000'
                                                                      
+                             },
                                                                      
+      'longitude_e6' => {
                                                                      
+                          '-data' => ''
                                                                      
+                        },
                                                                      
+      'unit_system' => {
                                                                      
+                         '-data' => 'US'
                                                                      
+                       }
                                                                      
+    },

                                              }
                               }
          },

];
[download]

what is the best way to extract the values from this array of hashes if its in a file? If it was an array of hashes I could access anyhting using this criteria:

my $test_data = $data[0]{'xml_api_reply'}{'weather'}{'forecast_informa
+tion'}{'city'}->{"-data"};
[download]

But since it is in a file I am a litle confused:
Test Code

....
my %hash;
open my $fh, '<', 'weather.txt' or die "Cannot open: $!";

while (my $lines = <$fh>) {
  my @data = $lines;
  my $key = shift @data;

  my $test_data = $data[0]{'xml_api_reply'}{'weather'}{'forecast_infor
+mation'}{'city'}->{"-data"};
  print "$test_data\n";
  
}
close $fh;
[download]

Thanks for the help!

Comment on Open and parsing a file with array of hashes!? Select or Download Code

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: Open and parsing a file with array of hashes!? by hbm (Hermit) on Aug 16, 2012 at 15:08 UTC
Another option? `use strict; use warnings; my $weather = do "weather.txt"; print $weather->[0]->{xml_api_reply}->{weather}->{forecast_information +}->{city}->{-data},$/; # prints Miami, FL` [download]	[reply] [d/l]
Re^2: Open and parsing a file with array of hashes!? by Anonymous Monk on Aug 16, 2012 at 15:25 UTC
Could it be in a loop in get all the city names?	[reply]
Re^3: Open and parsing a file with array of hashes!? by hbm (Hermit) on Aug 17, 2012 at 00:10 UTC
`use strict; use warnings; my $weather = do "weather.txt"; print $_->{xml_api_reply}->{weather}->{forecast_information}->{city}-> +{-data},$/ for @$weather;` [download] Prints: `Miami, FL Boston, MA` [download]	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re: Open and parsing a file with array of hashes!? by Anonymous Monk on Aug 16, 2012 at 14:55 UTC
See Undumper, Data::Undump	[reply]
Re: Open and parsing a file with array of hashes!? by stonecolddevin (Parson) on Aug 16, 2012 at 16:32 UTC
yea you should marshall/serialize this. Storable or MooseX::Storable are pretty neat for that purpose. Three thousand years of beautiful tradition, from Moses to Sandy Koufax, you're god damn right I'm living in the fucking past	[reply]
Re^2: Open and parsing a file with array of hashes!? by Anonymous Monk on Aug 16, 2012 at 17:33 UTC
What about this what do you think? `#!/usr/bin/perl -w use strict; use Data::Dumper; use YAML; ... # from your code you do what was mentioned here: push @data, $tree; } # end of your foreach for my $record (@data) { my $cities = "$record->{'xml_api_reply'}{'weather'}{'forecast_inf +ormation'}{'city'}->{'-data'}"; print "$cities\n"; }` [download] Let us know, thanks!	[reply] [d/l]
Re: Open and parsing a file with array of hashes!? by linuxkid (Sexton) on Aug 16, 2012 at 15:23 UTC
`do $file;` or better yet use YAML! --linuxkid imrunningoutofideas.co.cc	[reply] [d/l]

--linuxkid