why can't I just cat the file???

[convenientstore]

What is up w/ below code?
Why can't this simple script just spit out what it sees in data?

#!/usr/bin/perl -w

use strict;

#my @yahoo = map { split(/\n/, $_) } <DATA>;


my @yahoo = <DATA>;

while (@yahoo) {
   chomp;
   print $_;
}

__END__
hi nus mine
hi no mine
###
hi on mine
## hi nus mine
hi hi hi
hi
hi
hi

running this I get

Use of uninitialized value in print at ./split_file.pl line 12, <DATA>
+ line 9.
Use of uninitialized value in scalar chomp at ./split_file.pl line 11,
+ <DATA> line 9.
Use of uninitialized value in print at ./split_file.pl line 12, <DATA>
+ line 9.
Use of uninitialized value in scalar chomp at ./split_file.pl line 11,
+ <DATA> line 9.
Use of uninitialized value in print at ./split_file.pl line 12, <DATA>
+ line 9.
Use of uninitialized value in scalar chomp at ./split_file.pl line 11,
+ <DATA> line 9.
Use of uninitialized value in print at ./split_file.pl line 12, <DATA>
+ line 9.
Use of uninitialized value in scalar chomp at ./split_file.pl line 11,
+ <DATA> line 9.
Use of uninitialized value in print at ./split_file.pl line 12, <DATA>
+ line 9.
Use of uninitialized value in scalar chomp at ./split_file.pl line 11,
+ <DATA> line 9.
Use of uninitialized value in print at ./split_file.pl line 12, <DATA>
+ line 9.
Use of uninitialized value in scalar chomp at ./split_file.pl line 11,
+ <DATA> line 9.
Use of uninitialized value in print at ./split_file.pl line 12, <DATA>
+ line 9.
Use of uninitialized value in scalar chomp at ./split_file.pl line 11,
+ <DATA> line 9.
Use of uninitialized value in print at ./split_file.pl line 12, <DATA>
+ line 9.
Use of uninitialized value in scalar chomp at ./split_file.pl line 11,
+ <DATA> line 9.
Use of uninitialized

Putting dumper gets me,

use strict;
use Data::Dumper;

#my @yahoo = map { split(/\n/, $_) } <DATA>;


my @yahoo = <DATA>;
#print "@yahoo\n";

print Dumper(@yahoo);

./split_file.pl
$VAR1 = 'hi nus mine
';
$VAR2 = 'hi no mine
';
$VAR3 = '###
';
$VAR4 = 'hi on mine
';
$VAR5 = '## hi nus mine
';
$VAR6 = 'hi hi hi
';
$VAR7 = 'hi
';
$VAR8 = 'hi
';
$VAR9 = 'hi
';

[eric256]

While doesn't take an array or list, it takes a condition. You want while (<DATA>) or for (@yahoo)

[halley]

I'd like to expand upon this correct answer. It seems like a really weird distinction if you aren't familiar with Perl's filter-writing magic.

while (<DATA>) { ... }

One might think that the above code is equivalent to this:

@foo = <DATA>;
while (@foo) { ... }

In reality, due to Perl's magical way of helping you implement simple STDIN-to-STDOUT text file filters, the first snippet is rephrased internally to mean the following:

while (defined ($_ = readline(*DATA))) { ... }

Thus, while () isn't taking a list, or even what looks like a list. It's taking a condition, the condition being the successful ability to read a single line from a filehandle (and if successful, assigning the line to $_ for checks inside the loop).

[hpavc]

wow, well done. thanks

[convenientstore]

Ed, this is excellent stuff,
Your reply had me read frantically more on while and defined and I have now better understanding on true and defined(as well as while)
Just a quick question though, how/where did you know that while is doing that internally?
I cannot find any offical doc saying that's what it does. Your explanation helped me a lot but just wondering if I am not reading the right stuff or I am just not reading it carefully

[jepri]

foreach (@yahoo) {
   chomp;
   print $_;
}

That should work better.

[cdarke]

Or even print <DATA>;

[convenientstore]

thank you guys!!

[johngg]

print without arguments defaults to operating on $_ and you could also chomp all of your lines in one go. If you don't mind destroying the array you could do this (using defined to cope with blank lines)

chomp( my @yahoo = <DATA> );
print while defined( $_ = shift @yahoo );

I hope this is of interest.

Cheers,

JohnGG