using split with localtime 1

goBoating · Apr 27, 2000

A curiosity of sorts...... Does anyone know of documentation about how 'split' relates to 'localtime'?  It appearently is related, somehow.  An illustration using version 5.004_04 on Solaris. This code: #!/usr/local/bin/perl @timeVars = localtime(time); print "Straight from localtime\n"; print "@timeVars"; print "\n-----------------\n"; $when2 = localtime(time); @vars = split(/ /,$when2); print "Date vars after use of split\n"; print "@vars"; print "\nyear - $vars[4]\n"; #end of code chunk produces this text: Straight from localtime 50 38 9 27 3 100 4 117 1 ----------------- Date vars after use of split Thu Apr 27 09:38:50 2000 year - 2000 The use of 'split' magically converts the array '@vars' to date chunks. Question:  How does 'split' know it is operating on the result of a localtime call?

MikeLacey · Apr 27, 2000

Split doesn't know. It just splits a string into a list of variables (in this case stuffed into an array) based on that pattern matching first argument "/ /" so the variable $x= "The Cat Sat On The Mat"; could be split into an array like this @WhatTheCatDid = split(/ /,$x); then @WhatTheCatDid[0] would contain "The", @WhatTheCatDid[1] would contain "Cat" and so on. Perhaps the "Apr" value is a result of interpreting the output of localtime in a string context - bit surprising though. Mike <a href=mailto:Mike_Lacey@Cargill.Com>Mike_Lacey@Cargill.Com</a> <a href=

http://www.cargill.com/>

Cargill's Corporate Web Site</a>

goBoating · Apr 27, 2000

'split' must have some idea where the array of numbers was created.  It would seem to me to be very dangerous for 'split' to arbitrarily decide to interpret an array element differently as a alpha or numeric.  There must be an infinite number of situations which could produce a list of numbers similar to the output of 'localtime'.  I don't really need an answer.  I just thought this was peculiar.  Also, it is a kind of handy y2k fix.  It magically transforms years since 1900 into the current year.  Or, does it?

MikeLacey · Apr 27, 2000

I've been using code like this - so I'm as mystified as you, very wierd. my ($sec, $min, $hour, $mday, $mon, $year, $wday, $yday, $isdt)=localtime(time); $year+=1900; The variable $year is set to 2000 after this. I take back what I said. Split must know about the return format of the localtime(time) function - must be a hard coded thing. Annoying really, had I not seen your post I would have written code that manipulated @vars in the format returned by localtime(time) - why on earth would you write it to do that? There must, as you say, be an infinite number of situations which could produce a list of numbers similar to the output of localtime(time) Mike <a href=mailto:Mike_Lacey@Cargill.Com>Mike_Lacey@Cargill.Com</a> <a href=

http://www.cargill.com/>

Cargill's Corporate Web Site</a> Please don't send me email questions without posting them as well. Post the question and send me a note saying "Have a look at so-and-so would you?" - that's fine.

MikeLacey · Apr 28, 2000

From the perl documentation for localtime() In scalar context, returns the ctime(3) value: $now_string = localtime;  # e.g., "Thu Oct 13 04:54:34 1994" This still doesn't answer the question I know, but it does give a hint - that localtime() thinks it was evaluated in a scalar context, hmmmm or maybe that split() just thought localtime() was evaluated in a scalar context. Too difficult, hurting my head now. Mike <a href=mailto:Mike_Lacey@Cargill.Com>Mike_Lacey@Cargill.Com</a> <a href=

http://www.cargill.com/>

Cargill's Corporate Web Site</a> Please don't send me email questions without posting them as well. Post the question and send me a note saying "Have a look at so-and-so would you?" - that's fine.

kaih · May 1, 2000

Mike, You are on the right track. Scalar vs array context is everything in this instance. When localtime() is feeding its output to an array it sends a list of numbers. One of those numbers is the number of years since 1900. (Thus the current year is "$timeVars[5] + 1900".) When localtime is feeding its output to a scalar it sends a string similar to the default output of the unix command `date`. The array lets you manipulate the various components easily, since they are numbers. Also you need to start from here if you want to custom format a timestamp. If all you need is a generic timestamp then the scalar output it handy and easy. split doesn't know and doesn't care that it is operating on the output from a localtime(). It just knows that it was fed a string and told to split it on spaces, so it does. - Kai.

goBoating · May 1, 2000

a little follow up...... if anyone uses this syntax to play with dates, be aware that a single digit day value will be preceded with 2 spaces, not one.  Therefore, splitting on spaces will get you the wrong array elements. using...... $when2 =~ s/ +/ /gs; # replace multiple spaces with one space ...... will fix it.

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using split with localtime 1

goBoating

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MikeLacey

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goBoating

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MikeLacey

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MikeLacey

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kaih

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