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I am stumped here - Can someone look at my code and tell me why my
$name variable is being changed to what is stored in $_? Thx.

foreach(@name) {
if ($files[$x] ne "") {

open SETI, $files[$x] or die "Can not open $files[$x] :$!";
print "name after open = @name\n";
while (<SETI>) {
### $name actually changes here - moved it for readability
if ($. eq 39) {
print "Default Input = $_\n";
print "name after if = @name\n";
chomp;

/(\d.) hr (\d.)/;
$Avg_Time[$x] = $1*60+$2;

}
}
$x++;
close SETI;
}
}

Please let me know if you need any more information.
Thx - Brian.

[posted & mailed]

On 5 Aug 2003, Brian wrote:

>I am stumped here - Can someone look at my code and tell me why my
>$name variable is being changed to what is stored in $_? Thx.
>
>foreach(@name) {
[snip]
> while (<SETI>) {

That's why.

When you do a for-loop on an array like that, the variable you use to
iterate over the array (by default, $_) is *aliased* to the element you're
working on:

@stuff = (1, 2, 3);
for (@stuff) { $_ += 5 }
print "@stuff"; # 6 7 8

That is, changes done to $_ effect the element in the array.

Additionally, when you use a while loop on a filehandle, if you don't
specify a variable, $_ is used. The problem is that it's the SAME $_
you happen to be using to iterate over your array.

while (<FILE>)
# is actually
while (defined($_ = <FILE>))

So, change at least ONE of those loops.

for my $n (@name) { ... }

while (my $line = <FILE>) { ... }

like so.

--
Jeff Pinyan RPI Acacia Brother #734 2003 Rush Chairman
"And I vos head of Gestapo for ten | Michael Palin (as Heinrich Bimmler)
years. Ah! Five years! Nein! No! | in: The North Minehead Bye-Election
Oh. Was NOT head of Gestapo AT ALL!" | (Monty Python's Flying Circus)