I am trying to search a text file by reading the text file into my script, then tokenise the file, then search the token for $search. For reference there are 7 elements in the @database array.

sub search
{
  # Load the flatfile into a data structure.
  open(DB, $datafile); 
  {local $/; $_ = <DB>}
  close(DB);
  # Start printing template
  print $templatehead;
  # Get ready for interetting datafile
  $recnum = 0;
  RECORD: while (m/\G(.*?(?<!\\)(\\\\)*)\Q$dataseperator\E/gs) 
  {
    # Get the next field and unescape it.
    $data = $1;
    $data =~ m/^\n?(.*?)\n?\\?$/s; 
    $data = $1;
    $data =~ s@\\\\@\\@;
    push @data, $1;
    if ($#data >= $#database)
    {
      # Get what we are searching for.... the reason we are here.
      $search = &getparam("search"); #gets a CGI::param()
      foreach $field (@data)
      {
        if(-1 != index($field,$search))
        {
          &printfield(@data);
          @data = ();
          $recnum++;
          next RECORD;
        }
      }
    }
  }
  print $templatetail;
  exit();
}
[download]

An example of the data in $datafile is,

Test|Subject|test@subject.com|Male|Perl-Database|good|on|
My|Tester|my@tester.com|Female|Perl-Database|very good|on|
Blank|Worker|blank@worker.com|Male|MySql-Database|the best!|off|
Someone|Somewhere|someone@somewhere.com|Female|Mysql-Database|great|of
+f|
Adding|Test|add@test.com|Male|Perl-Database|Great product!|on|
[download]

---

---

• Are you posting in the right place? Check out Where do I post X? to know for sure.
• Posts may use any of the Perl Monks Approved HTML tags. Currently these include the following:

  <code> <a> <b> <big> <blockquote> <br /> <dd> <dl> <dt> <em> <font> <h1> <h2> <h3> <h4> <h5> <h6> <hr /> <i> <li> <nbsp> <ol> <p> <small> <strike> <strong> <sub> <sup> <table> <td> <th> <tr> <tt> <u> <ul>

• Snippets of code should be wrapped in <code> tags not <pre> tags. In fact, <pre> tags should generally be avoided. If they must be used, extreme care should be taken to ensure that their contents do not have long lines (<70 chars), in order to prevent horizontal scrolling (and possible janitor intervention).
• Want more info? How to link or How to display code and escape characters are good places to start.