addings columns in perl script

activeq · 09-02-2008, 04:57 AM

Hi,

First of all..i'm a beginner in perl scripting.

I have an output-file like this:

Mike Bax tel-41596 start Fri 8/22 13:31
Thomas van Damme tel-92248 start Tue 9/2 8:56

I would like to change this in something like this:

Name: Telephone: Start Time:
Mike Bax tel-41596 Fri 8/22 13:31
Thomas van Damme tel-92248 Tue 9/2 8:56

How can I create columns within Perl?

Note: After submitting this post I see that this forum doesn't include my spaces. I need a columns with Name:, a columns with telephone:, and a seperate columns Start Time.

makyo · 09-02-2008, 09:47 AM

Hi.

If you use CODE tags your intent may be more visible to us.

Select the text in the editing window, then click the # just above the window. That will surround the text with the appropriate tags

Code:

like     this
a   b   c   d

cheers, makyo

theNbomr · 09-02-2008, 12:08 PM

To attempt to answer your actual question, I suggest looking at the printf()/sprintf() functions, which are good at creating formatted output. In your case, I assume you are interested in padding and justifying text in fixed-width columns, so focus on the use of field-width specifiers.

Code:

    printf( "%30s %-30s start %25s", $name, $phone, $startTime );

--- rod.

keefaz · 09-02-2008, 04:26 PM

printf is enough for this case, but perl format should be mentioned imho, else why use perl

Code:

my($name, $telephone, $stime);

format Infos =
@<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<@<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<@<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
$name,             $telephone,         $stime
.

$~ = 'Infos';

($name, $telephone, $stime) = ('Name:', 'Telephone:', 'Start Time:');
write;

($name, $telephone, $stime) = ('Mike Bax', 'tel-41596', 'Fri 8/22 13:31');
write;

makyo · 09-02-2008, 05:28 PM

Hi.

If your goal is to learn perl, then by all means apply the suggestions provided above and continue to practice writing perl.

If your goal to obtain column alignment, then you may be interested in the results from S Kinzler's perl script:

Code:

#!/bin/bash -

# @(#) s1       Demonstrate Kinzler's perl align script.

# See: http://www.cs.indiana.edu/~kinzler/align/

echo
echo "(Versions displayed with local utility \"version\")"
version >/dev/null 2>&1 && version "=o" $(_eat $0 $1)
set -o nounset
echo

FILE=${1-data1}

echo " Data file $FILE:"
cat -A $FILE

echo
echo " Results, align default:"
align $FILE

echo
echo " Results, align with options:"
align -s t -j _ -a dddN  $FILE

exit 0

Producing with your data, augmented by TAB delimiters and an extra numeric column:

Code:

% ./s1

(Versions displayed with local utility "version")
Linux 2.6.11-x1
GNU bash 2.05b.0

 Data file data1:
Name:^ITelephone:^IStart Time:^IA number$
Mike Bax^Itel-41596^IFri 8/22 13:31^I43.5$
Thomas van Damme^Itel-92248^ITue 9/2 8:56^I726.129$

 Results, align default:
Name:                   Telephone:      Start Time:     A number
Mike Bax                tel-41596       Fri 8/22 13:31  43.5
Thomas van Damme        tel-92248       Tue 9/2 8:56    726.129

 Results, align with options:
Name:            Telephone: Start Time:    A number
Mike Bax         tel-41596  Fri 8/22 13:31   43.500
Thomas van Damme tel-92248  Tue 9/2 8:56    726.129

Best wishes ... cheers, makyo

activeq · 09-03-2008, 01:17 AM

Thanks for your replies.

I think I know how to do this for my setup, and the solution of Keefaz is the easiest one i think. Thanks for that.

Regards.