Pattern Match and Replace Problem

[belize]

I am submitting a form that will replace matching fields in a template file with what was submitted.

The template file takes this form:

LABEL1: [field1]
LABEL2: [field2]
LABEL3: [field3]

I open the template file, read each line into an array, then start working on each line as follows:

foreach $File (@File) {
    $File =~ s/\n//;
    foreach $Field (@InputFields) {
    $ReplaceVar = $FORM($Field);
    $SearchVar = '\[' . Field . '\]';
    $File =~ s/$SearchVar/$ReplaceVar/g;
  }
print "$File\n";
}

QUESTIONS:
1. If someone does not fill Field1 in the form, the printout will show " LABEL: [Field1] ". How do I get rid of this. Do I first run the above, then run it again searching " '\[.*\]' " and replacing it with ""? I tried this but running it a second time erased all the fields.

2. What does " $File =~ s/\n//; " accomplish?

Thanks!

[Chady]

Answer to #2:

you already split the individual lines into array fields, so \ns will only be at the end of the lines... you should chomp instead:

$File =~ s/\n//; # removes newline characters.

# it should be

chomp($File); # removes newline characters from the end of the line fa
+ster.

---

He who asks will be a fool for five minutes, but he who doesn't ask will remain a fool for life.

Chady | http://chady.net/

[little]

1.assign a default value alike   or ' ' to the fields in your scipt (so they are lets say values in an arry and get overwritten with the content from the from , but only if there is one), so they get a content anyway.
2. shall remove the newlines from $File, but its an expensive way, that seems to be done to process the content of $File like if it was only one long line, probably to find matches over multiple lines
Have a nice day
All decision is left to your taste

[belize]

Sorry, I should of asked why do the new lines have to be removed before doing tha pattern matching?

[belize]

Will this work:

foreach $File (@File) {
    $File =~ s/\n//;
    foreach $Field (@InputFields) {
    $ReplaceVar = $FORM($Field);
    $ReplaceVar2 = '';
    $SearchVar = '\[' . Field . '\]';
    $SearchVar2 = '\['.*'\]';
    $File =~ s/$SearchVar/$ReplaceVar/g;
    $File =~ s/$SearchVar2/$ReplaceVar2/g;
  }
print "$File\n";
}

Can I run a search and replace on a line, then run a second one consecutively to catch the ones that weren't replaced. Doesn't seem to work for me? Why not?

[Chady]

How are you recieving your form data?? I assume with CGI.pm ??

If that's the case... try this when you read the data:

use CGI;
$q = new CGI;

$Field1 = $q->param('Field1) ? $q->param('Field1') : ' ';
$Field2 = $q->param('Field2) ? $q->param('Field2') : ' ';
# and so on...

This way, if someone didn't fill in the "Field1" it will be replaced by a space character... or whatever you specify.

---

He who asks will be a fool for five minutes, but he who doesn't ask will remain a fool for life.

Chady | http://chady.net/