Re: Shorten script

[sauoq]

while($line = <F>) {
    for my $hit ($line =~ /matchPattern/gi) {
        $ct++;
        push @files, $name;
        print "PAGE ->\t$name\ndata ->";

        if( $line =~ /(patternOne)/i ) {
            print "\t\t$1\nMATCHED - >\t$hit\n";
        } 
        elsif( $line =~ /(patternTwo)/i ) {
            print "\t\t$1\nMATCHED - >\t$hit\n";
        } 
        else {
            print " TEXT INFO HERE.\n";
        }        
    }   
}

-sauoq
"My two cents aren't worth a dime.";

[snax]

Since you're printing more or less the same thing, see if you can combine the patterns you're matching against thusly:

while($line = <F>) {
    for my $hit ($line =~ /matchPattern/gi) {
        $ct++;
        push @files, $name;
        print "PAGE ->\t$name\ndata ->";

        if( $line =~ /(patternOne|patternTwo)/i ) {
            print "\t\t$1\nMATCHED - >\t$hit\n";
        } 
        else {
            print " TEXT INFO HERE.\n";
        }        
    }   
}

[sauoq]

In general, it's more efficient to elevate the "ors" out of the pattern. In other words,

$line =~ /pat1/ or $line =~ /pat2/

is usually better than a single more complex regular expression.

-sauoq
"My two cents aren't worth a dime.";

[snax]

Well, yes, but he did say he was trying to shorten his script :)

I am often a chooser of elegance (subjective, of course) over efficiency.

So, to combine some efficiency with some elegance:

while($line = <F>) {
    for my $hit ($line =~ /matchPattern/gi) {
        $ct++;
        push @files, $name;
        print "PAGE ->\t$name\ndata ->";

        if( $line =~ /(patternOne)/i or $line =~ /(patternTwo)/i ) {
            print "\t\t$1\nMATCHED - >\t$hit\n";
        } 
        else {
            print " TEXT INFO HERE.\n";
        }        
    }   
}

The $1 will be properly remembered -- although if a line matches both patterns is the or a short circuit operator? You might have to switch the order to keep the behavior identical.