Newbie Help re: Formatted Output

[Zdog]

So far can't figure out how to output a formatted line of data out to a file using the write command. Should I be using printf instead or will write work?

Thanks

 

[justice41]

Are you trying to format output using printf, pack, or filehandle formats?

jaa

 

[Zdog]

That's my question. I assumed I should be using a filehandle with write, but either I have the syntax wrong or using a filehandle is the wrong solution.

format Stuff = @<<<<<@<<<<<@
$stuff1, $stuff2, $stuff3
.

$_ = &quot;Stuff&quot;;
write; #Where does the output filehandle go??

 

[justice41]

The variables in your format need to have values (you need to assign something to them) before you write. So an example to format STDOUT:

format STDOUT =
@<<<<<<<<<@<<<<<<<<<@<<<<<<<<<<
$stuff1, $stuff2, $stuff3
.

for ('stuff1 stuff2 stuff3', 'item1 item2 item3', 'thing1 thing2 thing3') {

    # split string on whitespace and assign to variables
    ($stuff1, $stuff2, $stuff3) = split;
    write;
}

And to print formatted data to a file:

format OUT = 
@<<<<<<<<<@<<<<<<<<<@<<<<<<<<<<
$stuff1, $stuff2, $stuff3
.

open OUT, &quot;> format.out&quot; or die $!;

# Must select() the filehandle to use
my $oldfh = select (OUT);
for ('stuff1 stuff2 stuff3', 'item1 item2 item3', 'thing1 thing2 thing3') {

    ($stuff1, $stuff2, $stuff3) = split;
    write;
}
# Return viewers to their regularly scheduled filehandle
select ($oldfh);

Read the perlform perldoc for more info:

http://www.perldoc.com/perl5.8.0/pod/perlform.html

jaa