Introduction to Perl

Part I
By: Cdric Notredame
(Adapted from BT McInnes)
2
What is Perl?
Perl is a Portable Scripting Language
No compiling is needed.
Runs on Windows, UNIX, LINUX and cygwin

Fast and easy text processing capability
Fast and easy file handling capability
Written by Larry Wall
Perl is the language for getting your job done.

Too Slow For Number Crunching
Ideal for Prototyping
3
How to Access Perl

To install at home
Perl Comes by Default on Linux, Cygwin, MacOSX
www.perl.com Has rpm's for Linux
www.activestate.com Has binaries for Windows

Latest Version is 5.8
To check if Perl is working and the version number
% perl -v
4
Resources For Perl
Books:
Learning Perl
By Larry Wall
Published by O'Reilly
Programming Perl
By Larry Wall,Tom Christiansen and Jon Orwant
Published by O'Reilly
Web Site
http://safari.oreilly.com
Contains both Learning Perl and Programming Perl
in ebook form
5
Web Sources for Perl
Web
www.perl.com
www.perldoc.com
www.perl.org
www.perlmonks.org
6
The Basic Hello World Program

which perl
pico hello.pl
Program:

#! /path/perl -w
print Hello World!\n;

Save this as hello.pl
Give it executable permissions
chmod a+x hello.pl
Run it as follows:
./hello.pl
7
Hello World Observations
.pl extension is optional but is commonly used
The first line #!/usr/local/bin/perl tells UNIX where
to find Perl
-w switches on warning : not required but a really
good idea
Variables and Their Content
9
Numerical Literals
Numerical Literals
6 Integer
12.6 Floating Point
1e10 Scientific Notation
6.4E-33 Scientific Notation
4_348_348 Underscores instead of
commas for long numbers
10
String Literals
String Literals
There is more than one way to do it!
'Just don't create a file called -rf.'
Beauty?\nWhat's that?\n

Real programmers can write assembly in any
language.


Quotes from Larry Wall
11
Types of Variables
Types of variables:
Scalar variables : $a, $b, $c
Array variables : @array
Hash variables : %hash
File handles : STDIN, STDOUT, STDERR

Variables do not need to be declared
Variable type (int, char, ...) is decided at run time
$a = 5; # now an integer
$a = perl; # now a string
12
Operators on Scalar Variables
Numeric and Logic Operators
Typical : +, -, *, /, %, ++, --, +=, -=, *=, /=, ||, &&, ! ect

Not typical: ** for exponentiation

String Operators
Concatenation: . - similar to strcat
$first_name = Larry;
$last_name = Wall;
$full_name = $first_name . . $last_name;
13
Equality Operators for Strings
Equality/ Inequality : eq and ne

$language = Perl;
if ($language == Perl) ... # Wrong!
if ($language eq Perl) ... #Correct

Use eq / ne rather than == / != for strings
14
Relational Operators for Strings
Greater than
Numeric : > String : gt
Greater than or equal to
Numeric : >= String : ge
Less than
Numeric : < String : lt
Less than or equal to
Numeric : <= String : le
15
String Functions
Convert to upper case
$name = uc($name);
Convert only the first char to upper case
$name = ucfirst($name);

Convert to lower case
$name = lc($name);
Convert only the first char to lower case
$name = lcfirst($name);


16
A String Example Program
Convert to upper case
$name = uc($name);
Convert only the first char to upper case
$name = ucfirst($name);

Convert to lower case
$name = lc($name);
Convert only the first char to lower case
$name = lcfirst($name);
#!/usr/bin/perl
$var1 = larry;
$var2 = moe;
$var3 = shemp;

Output: Larry, MOE, sHEMP
17
A String Example Program
#!/usr/local/bin/perl
$var1 = larry;
$var2 = moe;
$var3 = shemp;

print ucfirst($var1); # Prints 'Larry'
print uc($var2); # Prints 'MOE'
print lcfirst(uc($var3)); # Prints 'sHEMP'
18
Variable Interpolation
Perl looks for variables inside strings and replaces
them with their value
$stooge = Larry
print $stooge is one of the three stooges.\n;
Produces the output:
Larry is one of the three stooges.
This does not happen when you use single quotes
print '$stooge is one of the three stooges.\n;
Produces the output:
$stooge is one of the three stooges.\n

19
Character Interpolation
List of character escapes that are recognized
when using double quoted strings
\n newline
\t tab
\r carriage return

Common Example :

print Hello\n; # prints Hello and then a return

20
Numbers and Strings are
Interchangeable
If a scalar variable looks like a number and Perl needs
a number, it will use it as a number

$a = 4; # a number
print $a + 18; # prints 22
$b = 50; # looks like a string, but ...
print $b 10; # will print 40!
Control Structures: Loops and Conditions
22
If ... else ... statements


if ( $weather eq Rain )
{
print Umbrella!\n;
}
elsif ( $weather eq Sun ) {
print Sunglasses!\n;
}
else {
print Anti Radiation Armor!\n;
}
23
Unless ... else Statements
Unless Statements are the opposite of if ... else
statements.

unless ($weather eq Rain) {
print Dress as you wish!\n;
}
else {
print Umbrella!\n;
}

And again remember the braces are required!
24
While Loop
Example :
$i = 0;
while ( $i <= 1000 )
{
print $i\n;
$i++;
}
25
Until Loop
The until function evaluates an expression
repeatedly until a specific condition is met.

Example:
$i = 0;
until ($i == 1000) {
print $i\n;
$i++;
}
26
For Loops
Syntax 1:
for ( $i = 0; $i <= 1000; $i=$i+2 )
{
print $i\n;
}

Syntax 2:
for $i(0..1000)
{
print $i\n;
}
27
Moving around in a Loop
next: ignore the current iteration
last: terminates the loop.

What is the output for the following code snippet:
for ( $i = 0; $i < 10; $i++)
{
if ($i == 1 || $i == 3) { next; }
elsif($i == 5) { last; }
else
{print $i\n;}
}
Answer
0
2
4

29
Exercise
Use a loop structure and code a program that
produces the following output:

A
AA
AAA
AAAB
AAABA
AAABAA
AAABAAA
AAABAAAB
..

TIP: $chain = $chain . A;


30
Exercise
#! /usr/bin/perl

for ($i=0, $j=0; $i<100; $i++)
{
if ( $j==3){$chain.=B;$j=0;}
else {$chain.=A; $j++;}
print $chain\n;
}
31
Exercise: Generating a Random
Sample
A study yields an outcome between 0 and 100
for every patient. You want to generate an
artificial random study for 100 patients:

Patient 1 99
Patient 2 65
Patient 3 89
.

Tip:
- use the srand to seed the random number
generator
-use rand 100 to generate values between 0 and
100 :
rand 100
32
Exercise
for ($i=0; $i<100; $i++)
{
$v=rand 100;
#print Patient $i $v\n;
printf Patient %d %.2f\n\n, $i, $v;
#%s : chaines, strings
#%d : integer
#%f : floating points
}
Collections Of Variables: Arrays
34
Arrays
Array variable is denoted by the @ symbol
@array = ( Larry, Curly, Moe );

To access the whole array, use the whole
array
print @array; # prints : Larry Curly Moe

Notice that you do not need to loop through
the whole array to print it Perl does this for
you
35
Arrays cont

Array Indexes start at 0 !!!!!

To access one element of the array : use $
Why? Because every element in the array is scalar

print $array[0]\n; # prints : Larry

Question:

What happens if we access $array[3] ?

Answer1 : Value is set to 0 in Perl
Answer2: Anything in C!!!!!

36
Arrays cont ...
To find the index of the last element in the
array
print $#array; # prints 2 in the previous
# example

Note another way to find the number of
elements in the array:
$array_size = @array;
$array_size now has 3 in the above example
because there are 3 elements in the array
37
Sorting Arrays
Perl has a built in sort function
Two ways to sort:
Default : sorts in a standard string comparisons order
sort LIST
Usersub: create your own subroutine that returns an
integer less than, equal to or greater than 0
Sort USERSUB LIST
The <=> and cmp operators make creating sorting
subroutines very easy
38
Numerical Sorting Example
#!/usr/local/bin/perl -w
@unsortedArray = (3, 10, 76, 23, 1, 54);
@sortedArray = sort numeric @unsortedArray;

print @unsortedArray\n; # prints 3 10 76 23 1 54
print @sortedArray\n; # prints 1 3 10 23 54 76

sub numeric
{
return $a <=> $b;

}
# Numbers: $a <=> $b : -1 if $a<$b , 0 if $a== $b, 1 if $a>$b
# Strings: $a cpm $b : -1 if $a<$b , 0 if $a== $b, 1 if $a>$b


39
#!/usr/local/bin/perl -w
@unsortedArray = (Larry, Curly, moe);
@sortedArray = sort { lc($a) cmp lc($b)} @unsortedArray;

print @unsortedArray\n; # prints Larry Curly moe
print @sortedArray\n; # prints Curly Larry moe
String Sorting Example
40
Foreach
Foreach allows you to iterate over an array
Example:
foreach $element (@array)
{
print $element\n;
}

This is similar to :
for ($i = 0; $i <= $#array; $i++)
{
print $array[$i]\n;
}

41
Sorting with Foreach
The sort function sorts the array and returns the list in
sorted order.
Example :
@array( Larry, Curly, Moe);
foreach $element (sort @array)
{
print $element ;
}

Prints the elements in sorted order:
Curly Larry Moe
42
Exercise: Sorting According to
Multiple Criterion
Use the following initialization to sort individuals by age and then by
income:

Syntax

@sortedArray = sort numeric @unsortedArray;
sub numeric
{
return $a <=> $b;
}
Data

@index=(0,1,2,3,4);
@name=(V,W,X,Y,Z);
@age=(10,20, 15, 20, 10);
@income=(100,670, 280,800,400);

Output:
Name X Age A Income I


Tip:
-Sort the index, using information contained in the other arrays.
43
Exercise: Sorting According to
Multiple Criterion

@index=(0,1,2,3,4,5);
@name=(V,W,X,Y,Z);
@age=(10,20, 15, 20, 10);
@income=(100,670, 280,800,400);

foreach $i ( sort my_numeric @index)
{
print $name[$i] $age[$i] $income[$i];
}
sub my_numeric
{
if ($age[$a] == $age[$b])
{return $income[$a]<=>$income[$b]; }
else
{return $age[$a]<=>$age[$b]; }
}

Manipulating Arrays
45
Strings to Arrays : split
Split a string into words and put into an array
@array = split( /;/, Larry;Curly;Moe );
@array= (Larry, Curly, Moe);
# creates the same array as we saw previously

Split into characters
@stooge = split( //, curly );
# array @stooge has 5 elements: c, u, r, l, y
46
Split cont..
Split on any character
@array = split( /:/, 10:20:30:40);
# array has 4 elements : 10, 20, 30, 40

Split on Multiple White Space
@array = split(/\s+/, this is a test;
# array has 4 elements : this, is, a, test

More on \s+ later

47
Arrays to Strings
Array to space separated string
@array = (Larry, Curly, Moe);
$string = join( ;, @array);
# string = Larry;Curly;Moe

Array of characters to string
@stooge = (c, u, r, l, y);
$string = join( , @stooge );
# string = curly
48
Joining Arrays cont
Join with any character you want
@array = ( 10, 20, 30, 40 );
$string = join( :, @array);
# string = 10:20:30:40

Join with multiple characters
@array = 10, 20, 30, 40);
$string = join(->, @array);
# string = 10->20->30->40
49
Arrays as Stacks and Lists
To append to the end of an array :
@array = ( Larry, Curly, Moe );
push (@array, Shemp );
print $array[3]; # prints Shemp

To remove the last element of the array (LIFO)
$elment = pop @array;
print $element; # prints Shemp
@array now has the original elements
(Larry, Curly, Moe)
50
Arrays as Stacks and Lists
To prepend to the beginning of an array
@array = ( Larry, Curly, Moe );
unshift @array, Shemp;
print $array[3]; # prints Moe
print $array[0]; # prints Shemp

To remove the first element of the array
$element = shift @array;
print $element; # prints Shemp
The array now contains only :
Larry, Curly, Moe
51
Exercise: Spliting
Instructions
Remove
shift: beginning, pop: end
Add
Unshift: beginning, push: end

Use split, shift and push to turn the following string:

The enquiry 1 was administered to five couples
The enquiry 2 was administered to six couples
The enquiry 3 was administered to eigh couples

Into
five couples were administered the enquiry 1
.
52
Exercise: Spliting
Use split, shift and push to turn the following string:

$s[0]= The enquiry 1 was administered to five couples;
$s[1]= The enquiry 2 was administered to six couples;
$s[2]= The enquiry 3 was administered to eigh couples;
foreach $s(@s)
{
@s2=split (/was administered to/, $s);
$new_s=$s2[1] were admimistered $s2[0];
print $new_s\n;
}


Multidimentional Arrays
54
Multi Dimensional Arrays
Better use Hash tables (cf later)
If you need to:
@tab=([Monday,Tuesday],
[Morning,Afternoon,Evening]);
$a=$tab[0][0] # $a == Monday
$tab2=(midnight, Twelve);
$tab[2]=\@tab2 # integrate tab2 as the last row
of tab
Thank you