xml simple not a hash reference

[Noverast]

I can loop through each roomtype but if a roomtype has more that one mealtype I get this error: The ForceArray option is enabled. Please Help!

gives me this error message / faulty output:

Not a HASH reference

This is the dump from the XML that is begin returned to me:

$VAR1 = {
          'success' => 'true',
          'data' => {
                    'bb' => {
                            'roomtypes' => {
                                           'roomtype' => [
                                                         {
                                                           'rtimage' =
+> '10002-2.jpg',
                                                           'ratescheme
+' => '1',
                                                           'rtid' => '
+2',
                                                           'roomsfree'
+ => '2',
                                                           'childpolic
+y' => {
                                                                      
+      'general' => '2 - 12 years stay',
                                                                      
+      'allowchild2' => 'Y',
                                                                      
+      'allowchild1' => 'Y'
                                                                      
+    },
                                                           'mealtypes'
+ => {
                                                                      
+    'mealtype' => [
                                                                      
+                  {
                                                                      
+                    'defaultmealtype' => 'true',
                                                                      
+                    'rates' => {
                                                                      
+                               'pax3' => '1180.00',
                                                                      
+                               'pax2' => '930.00',
                                                                      
+                               'pax4' => '1405.00',
                                                                      
+                               'pax1' => '550.00'
                                                                      
+                             },
                                                                      
+                    'mealtypedesc' => 'Bed & Breakfast',
                                                                      
+                    'rateid' => '6'
                                                                      
+                  },
                                                                      
+                  {
                                                                      
+                    'rates' => {
                                                                      
+                               'pax3' => '850.00',
                                                                      
+                               'pax2' => '700.00',
                                                                      
+                               'pax4' => '975.00',
                                                                      
+                               'pax1' => '450.00'
                                                                      
+                             },
                                                                      
+                    'mealtypedesc' => 'Self-catering',
                                                                      
+                    'rateid' => '7'
                                                                      
+                  }
                                                                      
+                ]
                                                                      
+  },
                                                           'maxoccupan
+cy' => '6',
                                                           'minlos' =>
+ '0',

                                                         },
                                                         {
                                                           'ratescheme
+' => '1',
                                                           'rtid' => '
+1',
                                                           'roomsfree'
+ => '5',
                                                           'descriptio
+n' => 'Double bed',
                                                           'childpolic
+y' => {
                                                                      
+      'general' => '2 - 12 years stay',
                                                                      
+      'allowchild2' => 'Y',
                                                                      
+      'allowchild1' => 'Y'
                                                                      
+    },
                                                           'mealtypes'
+ => {
                                                                      
+    'mealtype' => {
                                                                      
+                  'defaultmealtype' => 'true',
                                                                      
+                  'rates' => {
                                                                      
+                             'pax2' => '800.00',
                                                                      
+                             'pax1' => '500.00'
                                                                      
+                           },
                                                                      
+                  'mealtypedesc' => 'B&B',
                                                                      
+                  'rateid' => '5'
                                                                      
+                }
                                                                      
+  },
                                                           'maxoccupan
+cy' => '2',
                                                           'minlos' =>
+ '0',
                                                         }
                                                       ]
                                         },
                          },
                    'nights' => '1',
                    'enddate' => '2011-01-24',
                    'startdate' => '2011-01-23'
                  }
        };

[Anonyrnous Monk]

I think it would help if you could show the code that produces the error. The data alone (what you've shown) doesn't produce any error messages.

diagnostics says

$ echo "Not a HASH reference" | splain
Not a HASH reference (#1)
    (F) Perl was trying to evaluate a reference to a hash value, but f
+ound a
    reference to something else instead.  You can use the ref() functi
+on to
    find out what kind of ref it really was.  See perlref.

[roboticus]

Noverast:

If you look a bit more closely at your data, you'll notice that data/bb/roomtypes/roomtype is an arrayref holding a hashref. So I'd suspect that your code is trying to do something like:

$hrXml->{data}{bb}{roomtypes}{roomtype}{$aKey};

instead of:

$hrXml->{data}{bb}{roomtypes}{roomtype}[$anIndex]{$aKey};

Note: I've seen a couple other array references in your data too, but I only mentioned the first one. So your error may be coming from one of the others. Also, if you're going to post a chunk of data like that, you should indent your data using less whitespace to make it a bit more readable.

I've heard about XML::Simple having an option (ForceArray) to force certain keys to always use an array reference. I believe (having never used it) that it'll use an array reference if the key has multiple sub-values and a hash reference if the key has only one. That can make your code a little tricky. But if you use ForceArray for the keys that may change on you, then your code can be simplified. (Anyway, that's what I gather from several posts. I'm sure someone will correct me if I misunderstood.)

...roboticus

When your only tool is a hammer, all problems look like your thumb.

[Noverast]

Thank you for the responses. This is my code:

my $results = $res->content;
$xml = new XML::Simple (KeyAttr => [],suppressempty => 1,ForceArray =>
+ ['roomtype']);
$data = $xml->XMLin("$results");

foreach $e (@{$data->{data}->{bb}->{roomtypes}->{roomtype}}){
$roomtypename=$e->{roomtypename};
$rateid=$e->{mealtypes}->{mealtype}->{rateid};
}

I only receive the error when trying to get the value of rateid for the mealtype, if it is more than one, and I don't know how to loop through the mealtypes

[Anonyrnous Monk]

I don't know how to loop through the mealtypes

The same way you're looping through the roomtypes:

    for my $mealtype ( @{$e->{mealtypes}->{mealtype}} ) {
        $rateid = $mealtype->{rateid};
    }

but don't forget to apply ForceArray to mealtype, too; or check with ref if $e->{mealtypes}->{mealtype} is an array reference, and only loop in that case (otherwise, you'd get an error if there's only one mealtype entry, in which case XML::Simple (without ForceArray in effect) would not create an extra array...)

[Jenda]

Looks to me like it's time to start tweaking the datastructure as it's being built to get something both consistent and easier to handle. See Simpler than XML::Simple.