(References and File Handling)

PERL

AGENDA

References

File Operators
Reading From a File Writing into File

Appending the File

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1
REFERENCES

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References - Preface
Need for more complex data structures, than simple variables

and lists

Perls 3 built-in types combine with references, gives arbitrarily complex and powerful data structures A selection between an elegant program doing its job quickly and a program that consumes system resources voraciously

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What is a Reference?

A reference is a scalar value that points to a memory location of another variable in memory.

Reference 0x305108

Referent 0x351f00 5

$a

$b

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Creating a Reference
A reference of a variable can be got when a backslash is put in front of it.
$a = \$b; 0x305108 0x351f00 5

$a

SCALAR (0X351f00)

$b

The address in memory is a scalar, so it can be assigned to one

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Creating a Reference Continued...

This address can be used to alter information at that

location
$$a = 3;

0x305108

0x351f00 3

$a

SCALAR (0X351f00)

$b

print $$a $b; 33

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Where can it be used?

References are used to

create multidimensional arrays/structures pass complex data types to subroutines

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Accessing References
In order to access a reference, you have to tell Perl to access the information at the address instead of the address itself. An extra dollar sign ($) can be used for that.

e.g., $current_value = 5773; $ref_current_value = \$current_value; $new_value = 1387; $$ref_current_value = $new_value;

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References

Reference Assignment $refScalar = \$scalar;

How to Dereference ${$refScalar} is a scalar value.

$refArray = \@array;

@{$refArray} is an array value.

$refHash = \%hash;

%{$refHash} is a hash value.

$refFunction = \&function;

&{$refFunction} is a function location.

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2
File Handle

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File Test Operators

-d to check if it is a directory

-e
-f -M

for existence check

to check if it is a file returns the age of file/directory

-r
-s -w -x -z
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to check if it is readable
returns the size of the file to check if it is writable to check if it is executable to check if the size is zero

Example
$file=C:\\file1.txt; if (-e $file) { $size= -s $file; print $size , " bytes \n"; if (-z $file) { print" There is no data in $file \n"; } }

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FILE Handling
A file is opened using open function
To read
open(FILE_HANDLE, file-path\\filename) or warn Can not open filename: $!;

To create\overwrite
open(FILE_HANDLE, >file-path\\filename) or die Can not create filename: $!;

To append
open(FILE_HANDLE, >>$filename) or die Can not append $filename: $!;

To read and write

open(FILE_HANDLE, +>$filename) or die Can not read-write $filename: $!;

To close an open file

close FILE_HANDLE;

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FILE Handling Contd

Open a file
Syntax

open(<Filehandle>, <path>/<filename>);
Example

open(INFO, ">$file");

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FILE Handling Contd

Reading from a file

Syntax

open(INFO, ">$file"); # Open for output

Example:

open(F,"test.pl"); while(<F>) { print $_; } close F;

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FILE Handling Contd

Seek
Syntax

seek FILEHANDLE, POSITION, OPTION

Example

open FILE,"C:\\file1.txt" or die "oops: $!"; seek FILE,10,0; @line = <FILE>; print @line; close(FILE);

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FILE Handling Contd

Writing into a file

Syntax

open(INFO, >$file); # Open for input

Example

open FILE,>C:\\file1.txt" or die "oops: $!"; print FILE Hello world; close (FILE);

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Reading and Writing into a file Contd

Appending the data into a file

Syntax

open(INFO, ">>$file"); # Open for appending Example

open FILE,>>C:\\file1.txt" or die "oops: $!"; print FILE Hello world; close (FILE);

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FILE Handling Contd

Close file
Syntax

Close (<Filehandle>)
Example

open FILE,"C:\\file1.txt" or die "oops: $!"; close(FILE);

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Imagination
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Action

Joy