I think I did not explain it well earlier. Here is a brief overview of what I am trying to do. I am merging 2 files based on certain criteria.

1. One rules states that if the line starts with a "2" copy the line as it is and write it to the output file.
2. If positions 14-16 have 800, 866, 877 or 888 then merge these items from the second file and arbitrarily change other positions to a predefined value.

As it stands now, before any modifications, this works, however, positions 14-16 that do not have 800, 866, 877 or 888 also need to be copied without modification to the output file. Of note here it is important that I write these in the order they are encountered in the original input file.

That being said after the modifications I have in effect an exact copy of my original input file and I am stumped.

Here is a copy of my working script before modifications:

#!/usr/bin/perl -w

use File::Copy;

my($input_file1) = $ARGV[0];
my($input_file2) = $ARGV[1];
my($output_file) = $ARGV[2];

if ( !defined($input_file1) || !defined($input_file2) || !defined($out
+put_file) ) {
    print "Error: usage: mergefiles input_file1 input_file2 output_fil
+e\n";
}
else {
    # -----Backup the input files in case of error-----
    copy( $input_file1, $input_file1 . ".bak" ) or
        die "Could not backup file 1 $input_file1 to $input_file1.bak:
+ $!\n";
    copy( $input_file2, $input_file2 . ".bak" ) or
        die "Could not backup file 2 $input_file2 to $input_file2.bak:
+ $!\n";

    # -----Attempt to open all of the files-----
    open( INFILE1, $input_file1 ) || die( "Could not read input file 1
+ ($input_file1): $!" );
    open( INFILE2, $input_file2 ) || die( "Could not read input file 2
+ ($input_file2): $!" );
    open( OUTPUT, "> " . $output_file ) || die( "Could not open output
+ file ($output_file): $!" );

    # -----Read input_file2 into an array so that (later) we can do a 
+binary search-----
    @input2 = <INFILE2>;

    while (;INFILE1>) {
        my $line = $_;
        chomp($line);

        # -----A line starting with a '2' is a header and is left unch
+anged
        if ( $line !~ m/^2/ ) {

            foreach $line2 (@input2) {
                $date = substr( $line, 6, 6 );
                $number_dialed = substr( $line, 29, 10 );

                if ( index( $line2, $date ) != -1 and index( $line2, $
+number_dialed ) != -1 ) {
                    $record_type = substr( $line, 5, 2 );
                    $term_id = substr( $line2, 39, 1);

                    # -----From File2-----
                    $carrier_info = substr( $line2, 44, 5 );
                    $destination_number = substr( $line2, 122, 10 );

                    $connect_time = substr( $line, 54, 6 );
                    $from_RAO = substr( $line, 71, 3 );
                    $indicator100 = substr( $line, 99, 1 );
                    $CABS_RAO = substr( $line, 109, 3 );
                    $settlement = substr( $line, 148, 1 );
                    $send_to_OCN = substr( $line, 186, 4 );

                    $record_type = "xx";
                    $from_RAO = "xxx";
                    $indicator100 = "x";
                    $CABS_RAO = "xxx";
                    $settlement = "x";
                    $send_to_OCN = "xxxx";
                    
                    # -----Generate the output string-----
                    $output_line = substr( $line, 0, 4 ) . $record_typ
+e . $date . substr( $line, 12, 17 )
                        . $number_dialed . $term_id . substr( $line, 4
+0, 4 )
                        . $carrier_info . substr( $line, 49, 5 )
                        . $connect_time . substr( $line, 60, 11 )
                        . $from_RAO . substr( $line, 74, 25 )
                        . $indicator100 . substr( $line, 100, 9 )
                        . $CABS_RAO . substr( $line, 112, 10 )
                        . $destination_number . substr( $line, 132, 16
+ )
                        . $settlement . substr( $line, 149, 37 )
                        . $send_to_OCN . substr( $line, 190, 20 ) . "\
+n";

                    print OUTPUT $output_line;

                    # -----If we have found the line, we want to exit 
+the loop-----
                    last;
                }
            }
        }
        else {
            print OUTPUT $line . "\n";
        }
    }

    # -----Close all of the files-----
    close( INFILE1 );
    close( INFILE2 );
    close( OUTPUT );
}

[download]


Comments, observations and help are very much welcome. Special thanks to ikegame for your insight.

In reply to Re^6: Ignoring lines in flat text file by sheasbys
in thread Ignoring lines in flat text file by sheasbys

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