Uer Perl Variable in txt file

[vinaybond]

Hi, I have a file which has contents like this.
file.txt
This is $name

my.pl
$name = "Test";
open(FH,"file.txt");
while(<FH>){
  print "$_";
}

Here is output I am getting:
This is $name

I want output like this
This is Test

I can achieve this using regexp ($_=~s/\$name/$name/;) but there are multiple variable in the file and I have to write N regexp line for N number or variable.

Is there another simple way.

-Vinay

[choroba]

Using a hash instead of variables is safer (no eval needed). Something like this:

#!/usr/bin/perl
use warnings;
use strict;

my %replace = (name => 'Joe',
               fun  => 'a game');

while (<DATA>) {
    for my $key (keys %replace) {
        s/\$$key/$replace{$key}/g;
    }
    print;
}

__DATA__
Hullo $name,
are you ready for $fun?

[moritz]

Or even

#!/usr/bin/perl
use warnings;
use strict;

my %replace = (name => 'Joe',
               fun  => 'a game');
my $search_for = join '|', map quotemeta, keys %replace;
while (<DATA>) {
    s/\$($search_for)/$replace{$1}/g;
    print;
}

I avoid nested loops where possible.

[tinita]

my $search_for = join '|', map quotemeta, keys %replace;
...
s/\$($search_for)/$replace{$1}/g;

Additionally:
when doing things like this and you have two hash keys "foo" and "foobar", either use \b in the regex if possible, or sort the hash keys for length before joining. otherwise $foobar could be replaced with the value of $replace{foo}.
s/\$($search_for)\b/$replace{$1}/g;

[rovf]

Although choroba already warned against using eval - and he is certainly right with it -, you can consider an eval-solution, if you understand the risks (and, in particular, if you have control over what goes into your file).

In this case, you could do:

use strict; use warnings;
while(my $line=<FH>) {
  print(eval "qq($line)");
}

This solution is much simpler than doing a substitution manually, but never forget: Whoever creates file.txt, can get *any* code being executed by your program; it requires that every variable referenced in the file, exists in the scope of evaluation (and will be replaced); and finally, that, if file.txt contains parentheses, that they are balanced.

[vinaybond]

Thank you very much. It solved my problem. I can use eval without worry as i am the one who is creating the file. -Vinay

[Anonymous Monk]

Thank you very much. It solved my problem. I can use eval without worry as i am the one who is creating the file. -Vinay

And you never make mistakes? :)

I would worry about making mistakes, maybe not today, but a week from now, so I would avoid string eval unless this was a single-use-program, only to be used once

Otherwise I would use String::Interpolate or String::Interpolate::RE or another similar abstraction instead

[Anonymous Monk]

eval stinks in such an application, as of course well you know.   It would only "work perfectly" in a perfect situation, and who knows what it would do at all other times.   Unacceptable.

[rovf]

eval stinks in such an application

Admittedly, it at least smells funny. However, I personally don't like to tell people in those situations that it is unacceptable in an absolute sense, because we don't know what's their application is, and what risk they are willing to take (in exchange for easier programming). That's why I outlined every risk I was aware off. With other words: Instead of saying: "Don't shoot yourself in the head", I prefer saying: "You can shoot yourself in the head, but be aware that there will be a hole afterwards". ;-)
Having said this, I must admit that I would use such an eval solution for work I only use myself (not paid work for the customer), knowing well that I can't blame anyone but myself if I get bitten....

[linuxkid]

Have you considered Template, the template toolkit?

[Anonymous Monk]

I don't feel that I understand what you are getting, based on the snippet of source code that I see ... but here is one important thing to keep in mind: the difference between single and double quotes.

A string such as 'This is $name' will be output literally as it appears, whereas a string in double quotes such as "This is $name" will have the variable-name interpolated.   That is, if $name is Fred, you get:   This is Fred in the second case but not the first.

[vinaybond]

I have a file which has contents like this

______file.txt_______
I am $name
I am from $city
I live $food
I got $car


Using perl code I am reading line one by one from file.txt. When I print line using $_ it does not replace variable in text file with variable values in .pl file but it prints the line as it is.
-Vinay