Re: Algoritm for converting string to number?

[Old_Gray_Bear]

in reply to Algoritm for converting string to number?

If this were my problem, I'd be reaching for a database immediately. My first column is the key and consists of your character string; the second column is a monotonically increasing INT of the longest precision I can get.

Almost any other 'algorithmic-mapping' solution is going to give you fits down the line when your mapping scheme encounters strings that generate integers that won't fit into your remote system's idea of INT. (Now if this is just a one-off to help get converted away from that silly system, go ahead with the algorithmic mapping, it's going to be less resource-intensive.)

But, if it were me, I'd still go with the database, though (SQLite probably). One-Offs have a nasty habit of hanging around for a long time....

Update -- corrected first word =~ /I/If/

[raybies]

Couldn't you do the same thing with just a regular Perl hash? (with the string being the key, and a global big int incremented as a unique value?)

[moritz]

If you're fine with losing the mapping once the process terminates, sure.

[raybies]

Okay, so not so simple, but I'd probably use...

use Storable qw(store retrieve);

and store and retrieve the hash once I was done with it, or needed it again.

I'd also probably stuff the global value incrementor into some hash string and store it in the hash with a key value like, "Global Incrementing Hash Key Thingy".

Of course Storable has its issues too...