search and replace ":"

[tkjordantk]

I've been trying to replace a ":" with "X" using tr. With the code:

if ( index( $test_string, ":" ) == -1) {
$test_string =~ tr/:/X/;
}

I'm sort of new to perl, I was thinking that maybe it was a special character, so I tried to using "\", but that didn't work. Any ideas?

Thanks.

 

[KevinADC]

The problem is not the regexp, its the "if" condition. Which will only evaluate the expression in the block if : is not in the string. Should be:

$test_string = 'foo:bar';
if ( index( $test_string, ":" > -1) ) {
  $test_string =~ tr/:/X/;
}
print $test_string;

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

 

[ishnid]

The 'if' is kind of pointless anyway. If ':' isn't contained in the string, running that 'tr' won't have any adverse effect, as it won't alter it in any way.

 

[tkjordantk]

My conditionals were definitely the problem. I decided to get rid of the them, don't really need them like you said.

Thanks!