How to: Use LWP / HTTP::Request:Simple; TO->>>>>>

[ProgrammerJutsu]

I want to check from a txt database, wether or not addresses are valid using a USPS web site, currently i have written a file to check the html code output from (assuming i figure out how to input the from info) This is about as far as i have gotten i can share with you my fail code on the read file => my Regex, if you can help. I am trying to save the txt file into a array of hash values so that i get the address city state zip and also the 9 digit zip if it is available. it seems like code sharing is difficult to do within this web site so if you want if it makes it easier i have my own open forum (i believe its open) where i can share text from code and media, (and possibly files : its a buddy press template site) Any help is much appreciated and will save me from banging my head against walls, literally and metaphorically!

[Sinistral]

Other Monks will no doubt be able to help with an LWP style solution to send form information to the USPS site, but I wanted to point out that there is another option than simply sending and scraping HTML. The USPS has APIs available that would no doubt be a less fragile solution than relying on the formatting of the public facing USPS web site. You want to visit:

1. The USPS Web Tools Registration Page to get a developer id
2. The Permission Request Form for USPS Web Tools to get authorization and information on using the APIs

[2teez]

Hi ProgrammerJutsu and welcome to the Monastery.

"...i can share with you my fail code on the read file => my Regex, if you can help......Any help is much appreciated"
You have come to the right place where you can get help, if you can post your question effectively.
Please see How do I post a question effectively?

"..it seems like code sharing is difficult to do within this web site.."
No, not at all. Just place your code to share within a <code> and </code> tags

[AnomalousMonk]

 <readmore> tags are also appreciated if the code/data/etc are very extensive. Please see Writeup Formatting Tips and Markup in the Monastery.

[ProgrammerJutsu]

Thanks for the response: 2teez

So far: I have 2 different codes that i will eventually merge but for developing purposes I'm testing them separately. Also there is a txt file that I'm pulling the addresses from and an html source file from USPS zip code verification web site.



I will share HTTP:Request::Simple; .pl code I am working with and the URL for the USPS Zip verify site:
https://tools.usps.com/go/ZipLookupAction!input.action


I'm fairly new to PERL and interning on a learning curve basis for a tax software company. I'm getting very little assistance from the senior programmer, due to the busy tax season, so i come to the monastery looking for help =D

For this post i will focus on my questions about the HTTP::Request::Simple; Module.

This is the code i have sofar: Updated 1/8/2013 9:53 AM
Part 1:


#!/usr/bin/perl


use LWP::Simple; 
use HTTP::Request::Common;




print "\n";
my $filename = ('Random addresses.txt');

my $txtContent = "";
open(IN, '<', $filename);
while(my $line = <IN>){
    $txtContent    .= $line;
}
close(IN);




my @address =split (m/\r+$/, $txtContent);

my $val = 0;
foreach($val(@address)){
print $val . "\n";
print "end Val\n";
}

I am having trouble with the regular expression, I'm getting a ridiculous output for my split.
Basically my code is underdeveloped. I'm aware there are some errors, and ill fix them tomorrow.

How do you suggest i write my split(/\r$/ ,$txtContent ); regular expression to get rid of errors? I tried many ways of writing it and got bad results.


Things I'm working on:
I need to learn how to submit the address hash into the web page, so that i can then verify whether they are valid addresses.
(It's not easy to find examples about the Http: module that are relevant to my project on google. ) =(

I really need to study some examples of working code that use the Http:: module to submit html form data from a hash and how to save hash values to an array


I'm also having trouble debugging my regular expression and saving the values from the txt document to the proper location.

I will be working on this all day today!
If anyone can contribute in any way it would be much appreciated
ProgrammerJutsu


Happy coding!

Currently reading : http://search.cpan.org/~gaas/libwww-perl-6.04/lib/LWP.pm




Broken address grabber:

#!/usr/bin/perl
use LWP::Simple; 
use HTTP::Request::Common;
use Data::Dumper;


print "\n";


my %address =(
    
    'Address' => "",
    'City'    =>"",
    'State'   =>"",
    'Zip'     => "",
    '9-Digit Zip' => "",
       
);


my $filename = ('addresses.txt');

my $txtContent = "";
open(IN, '<', $filename);
while(my $line = <IN>){
    $txtContent    .= $line;
}
close(IN);


my @address = split(/\r{2,2}/, $txtContent);

foreach my $val(@address){
   print "$val\n";
   print "EXIT line\n"
}




TXT FILE:

Alabama    Alabama Bureau of Tourism & Travel
PO Box 4927
Montgomery, AL 36103

Alaska    Alaska Division of Tourism
PO Box 110801
Juneau, AK 99811-0801

Arizona    Arizona Office of Tourism
1110 W. Washington Street, Suite 155
Phoenix, AZ 85007

Arkansas    Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism
One Capitol Mall
Little Rock, AR 72201

California    California Division of Tourism
PO Box 1499
Dept TIA
Sacramento, CA 95812

Colorado    Colorado Tourism Office
1625 Broadway
Suite 2700
Denver, CO 80202

Connecticut    Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism
One Financial Plaza
755 Main Street
Hartford, CT 06103

Delaware    Delaware Tourism Office
99 Kings Highway
PO Box 1401
Dover, DE 19903

Florida    Florida Office of Tourism
PO Box 1100
Tallahassee, FL 32302

Georgia    Georgia Department of Economic Development
75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 1200
Atlanta, GA 30308

Hawaii    Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tour
+ism
PO Box 2359
Honolulu, HI 96804

Idaho    Idaho Department of Commerce, Travel, Leisure and Tourism
700 West State St.
PO Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0093

Illinois    Illinois Dept. of Commerce and Community Affairs
620 E. Adams
Springfield, IL 62701

Indiana    Indiana Department of Tourism
One North Capitol
Suite 700
Indianapolis, IN 46204

Iowa    Iowa Dept. of Economic Development
200 East Grand Ave.
Des Moines, IA 50309

Kansas    Kansas Dept. of Commerce
Travel And Tourism Div.
1000 S.W. Jackson Street 
Suite 100
Topeka, KS 66612

Kentucky    Kentucky Department of Travel
500 Mero St. #2200
Frankfurt, KY 40601

Louisiana    Louisiana Dept. of Culture, Recreation and Tourism
PO Box 94291
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9291

Maine    Maine Office of Tourism
#59 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0059

Maryland    Maryland Office of Tourism Development
217 Redwood St
Baltimore, MD 21202

Massachusetts    Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism
10 Park Plaza
Suite 4510
Boston, MA 02116

Michigan    Michigan Economic Development
300 N. Washington Sq.
Lansing, MI 48913

Minnesota    Minnesota Office of Tourism
500 Metro Square
121-7th PL East
St. Paul, MN 55101

Mississippi    Mississippi Dept. of Economic and Community Development
Division of Tourism Development
PO Box 849
Jackson, MS 39205

Missouri    Missouri Division of Tourism
PO Box 1055
Jefferson City, MO 65102

Montana    Montana Department of Commerce
1424 9th Ave.
PO Box 200533
Helena, MT 59620-0533

Nebraska    Nebraska Tourism Office
PO Box 98907
Dept. 9INT
Lincoln, NE 68509-8907

Nevada    Nevada Commission on Tourism
401 North Carson St.
Carson City, NV 89701

New Hampshire    New Hampshire Office of Tourism
PO Box 1856
Concord, NH 03302

New Jersey    New Jersey Commerce and Economic Growth Commission
PO Box 820
20 W. State St.
Trenton, NJ 08625

New Mexico    New Mexico Department of Tourism
491 Old Santa Fe Trail
PO Box 20002
Santa Fe, NM 87501

New York    New York Department of Tourism
PO Box 2603
Albany, NY 12220-0603

North Carolina    North Carolina Department of Commerce
301 N. Wilmington St.
Raleigh, NC 27601

North Dakota    North Dakota Tourism
Liberty Memorial Building
604 East Boulevard
Bismark, ND 58505-0825

Ohio    Ohio Department of Commerce
77 South High St
23rd Floor
Columbus, OH 43266-0544

Oklahoma    Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation
20 N. Robinson Avenue, 6th Floor
PO Box 52002
Oklahoma City, OK 73152-2002

Oregon    Oregon Toursim Commission
775 Summer St, NE
Salem, OR 97310

Pennsylvania    Pennsylvania Tourism Office
Dept. of Community & Economic Development
4th Floor, Commonwealth Keystone Building
400 North Street
Harrisburg, PA 17120

Rhode Island    Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation
Tourism Division
One West Exchange St.
Providence, RI 02903

South Carolina    South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and T
+ourism
1205 Pendleton St
Suite 106
Columbia, SC 29201

South Dakota    South Dakota Department of Tourism
711 East Wells Ave.
c/o 500 East Capitol Ave. 
Pierre, SD 57501-5070

Tennessee    Tennessee Department of Tourist Development
Rachel Jackson State Office Building
320 Sixth Ave., 5th Floor
Nashville, TN 37243

Texas    Texas Dept. of Economic Development
PO Box 12728
Austin, TX 78711

Utah    Utah Travel Council
Council Hall
Capitol Hill
Salt Lake City, UT 84114

Vermont    Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development
Department of Tourism and Marketing
6 Baldwin St., Drawer 33
Montpelier, VT 05603-1301

Virginia    Virginia Tourism Corporation
901 E. Byrd St.
Richmond, VA 23219

Washington    Washington State Community, Trade and Economic Developme
+nt
906 Coumbia St. SW
PO Box 48300
Olympia, WA 98504-8300

West Virginia    West Virginia Division of Tourism
2101 Washington St., E.
Charleston, WV 25305

Wisconsin    Wisconsin Department of Tourism
201 W. Washington Ave.
PO Box 8690
Madison, WI 53708-8690

Wyoming    Wyoming Travel & Tourism
I-25 at College Dr.
Cheyenne, WY 82002