hi folks - i'm new!

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anyone out there doing CIW Perl section 2 part b - lesson 12?

can we discusss the last bit? sounds really confusing!

 

Hi there and welcome

 

Welcome!

 

Welcome to CF.

 

Hi and welcome to CF!

I know Perl fairly well, but not the question (I haven't done CIW), so a bit more detail on your problem might help.

Harry.

 

G'day and welcome to CF

 

thanks for the reply!

the course is slightly confusing, and I can't wait for the tutors (they take too long to repsond.............)

anyway, the text is below. hopefully you can help by putting it in english!
____________________________________

You are to write a Perl program that analyses text files to obtain statistics on their content. The program should operate as follows:

1) When run, the program should check if an argument has been provided. If not, the program should prompt for, and accept input of, a filename from the keyboard.

2) The filename, either passed as an argument or input from the keyboard, should be checked to ensure it is in MS-DOS format. The filename part should be no longer than 8 characters and must begin with a letter or underscore character followed by up to 7 letters, digits or underscore characters.
The file extension should be optional, but if given is should be ".TXT (upper- or lowercase).

For example:
input.txt # valid
inputfile.txt # invalid
input. text # invalid
testfile # valid

If no extension if given, ".TXT" should be added to the end of the filename. So, for example, if "testfile" is input as the filename, this should become "testfile.TXT. If "input.txt” is entered, this should remain unchanged.

3) If the filename provided is not of the correct format, the program should display a suitable error message and end at this point.

4) The program should then check to see if the file exists using the filename provided. If ,. the file does not exist, a suitable error message should be displayed and the program should end at this point.

5) Next, if the file exists but the file is empty, again a suitable error message should be displayed and the program should end.

6) The file should be read and checked to display crude statistics on the number of characters, words, lines, sentences and paragraphs that are within the file.

In producing the statistics you can assume the following:
- the character count can include any whitespace and punctuation characters (i.e. it can include all characters in the file)
- each word is separated by a space, tab or new line character (\n), except if the previous character was a space, tab or new line
- each line is separated by a new line character
- each sentence is ended by either a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark
- a paragraph is ended by two consecutive new line characters
___________________________________

see what I mean!!

 

Er - if you intend to use your cert when you get it then you will need to learn to read this sort of thing. IMHO the question is a model of clarity compared with the usual crap specs I get!

Should be easy - look up @ARGV

This is testing your ability at pattern matching. IMHO pattern matching (aka regex) is one of the most powerful parts of Perl and renders quite complex stuff easily.

Do you know your test operators?

What about using the stat() function?

Pattern matching plus the ability to write a loop is looked for here.

If you are going to be serious about doing web stuff then you will *need* to get languages like Perl under your belt. A *lot* of stuff on the 'net uses Perl or its various equivalents to get the results desired.

Harry.

Edit - just realized which forum this is in - the mods may want to move this bit.

 

Hello and welcome!

 

Greetings.

-Trip