in reply to multidimensional arrays

It would be almost a fast, use less memory (if your multi-dimensional array is sparsely populated, *much less*), and far simper to code if you use a hash with composite keys instead.

Basically, you concatenate your indices together, separated by some suitable character (I've used ';' below), and use the result as the key to a hash. That will give you the same ability to look things up by index, but will not require you to reserve space for elements you do not use.

Your entire snippet above can be reduce to the following, with the addition that it will handle any number of dimensions. 

my $ranges = [
    { I => "2", },
    { I => "3", J => "2", },
    { I => "4", J => "3", K => "2", }
];

my $array; ## The name is a lie!!

foreach my $rvarHASH ( @{ $ranges } ) {
    my @rvarLIST = sort keys %$rvarHASH;
    my @orderedIndices = @{ $rvarHASH }{ @rvarLIST };
    my $array->{ join ';', @orderedIndices } = $netlist;
}
## Err...That's all folks!

[download]

It's a little worrying that your declaration my $array; is inside the loop, meaning that it will vanish as soon as you exit the loop, before you get a chance to use it--but I'll put that down to you being a non-strict person, that added a few mys to avoid the cacophony :)

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In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice.
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Re^2: multidimensional arrays
by Anonymous Monk on Jun 10, 2007 at 09:48 UTC
    i wanted to use a multidimensional array instead of composite key hash because i have to acess it many times. its easier to access the array once with the N indices than looping through all the keys and deconstructing them for each access.

    gee, i apologize for hoopla about the $array inside the loop. the $range hash and the outermost loop was put in solely for the question! it's hard to distill ones code for outside review.

    thanks for your comments.

[reply]
      i wanted to use a multidimensional array instead of composite key hash because i have to acess it many times. its easier to access the array once with the N indices than looping through all the keys and deconstructing them for each access.

      You'll have to explain what you mean by that? It's not at all clear to me why you would need to "deconstruct" the hash keys to access them?

      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.
[reply]
        upon deep thought, i concur! creating a composite key can be done easily and would allow the hash to be accessed easily.

        and a composite key that include both the name and value of the index would sort nicely. 

          I=3:J=2:K=2
  I=3:J=3:K=2
  I=4:J=2:K=1

        [download]
        thanks
[reply]
[d/l]

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