Parse data, convert time format & write to temp file

[ITadvice]

I have tab delimited text files that have date/time in excel serial format (34567.6256345). I want to collect the data from the 1st, 4th & 8th columns, convert them to normal time (yymmdd hh:mm:ss:ss) and then write the new format to a temporary file. I'm familar with how to parse data, create temp files and change the format. My problem is that I'm not sure how to blend all three together. Any suggestions or advice?

 

[travs69]

yeah.. post some code

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Travis - Those who say it cannot be done are usually interrupted by someone else doing it; Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions;

 

[KevinADC]

This module might help with the date/time conversion from the funky excel format:

http://search.cpan.org/~drolsky/DateTime-Format-Excel-0.2901/lib/DateTime/Format/Excel.pm

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- Kevin, perl coder unexceptional!

 

[ITadvice]

Here is the code I have so far:


open(FILE, "<text_file.txt") or return;
$fh = IO::File->new_tmpfile or die "Unable to make new temp file: $!";
$fh->autoflush(1);
while (my $line = <FILE>) {
my $datetime = DateTime::Format::Excel->parse_datetime($line);
print $datetime->ymd;
print $datetime->hms;
seek ($fh, 0, 0) or die "Seek: $!";
print $fh "[ (split(/\t/, $line))[0,3,7] ]";
return ($fh);
}
print "Temp file contains: \n", <$fh>;

 

[KevinADC]

ahhh... you are already using the module.

change this line:

print $fh "[ (split(/\t/, $line))[0,3,7] ]";

change to:

print $fh (split(/\t/, $line))[0,3,7],"\n";

or if you really want the brackets in there:

print $fh '[', (split(/\t/, $line))[0,3,7], ']',"\n";

perl does not execute functions inside of double-quoted strings, at least not the way you wrote it, and its not necessary anyway.

------------------------------------------
- Kevin, perl coder unexceptional!

 

[ITadvice]

When I run my program, this line:

print "Temp file contains: \n", <$fh>;

prints out this: "Temp file contains: IO::File=GLOB(0x86e...)"

What does this mean? Is the information not being put in the temp file?