Sorting is not working... someone please help

[superyo]

I have an array whose strings are flatfile db lines.
The first part of each $ looks like this: 12,456|L|etc.
It is a number followed by pipe(|)delimiters and other junk.

I am trying to sort this array by the first one or two #'s, so here is what I have:

@stupidperl = sort {($a =~ /^\d\d?/) <=> ($b =~ /^\d\d?/)} @stupidperl;

this should pull the first one or two digits of the string and sort by them numerically, but it fails to do so. I don't get it. PLEASE HELP ME. I AM SAD.

 

[stillflame]

a regular expression in scalar context only returns true or false, depending on whether it matches or not. what you need to do for you sort block is this:[tt]
{(($a =~ /^(\d\d?)/) && $1) <=> (($b =~ /^(\d\d?)/) && $1)}[/tt]
the '$1' whatever is contained in the first set of parentheses of the last matching regular expression.

you know, there's probly a better way to do this, involving just selecting the first two bytes of the string... &quot;If you think you're too small to make a difference, try spending a night in a closed tent with a mosquito.&quot;

 

[stillflame]

ooo, try this:[tt]
{pack(&quot;CC&quot;, unpack(&quot;CC&quot;, $a)) <=> pack(&quot;CC&quot;, unpack(&quot;CC&quot;, $b))}[/tt]

still, there should be a quicker way to do this... &quot;If you think you're too small to make a difference, try spending a night in a closed tent with a mosquito.&quot;