Re: Data structure question

[darren chamberlain]

Hi Drew,

How about writing a custom sort routine, based on the order you would be
using in the array, and returning that as a code ref? Sorting the hash
would be as simple as:

Common.pm:                                                                             
                           
sub getdata {                                                                          
                           
   my $CR = sub { # generate code ref here };
   my $HR = { 'sort_sub' => $CR, 123 => {foo=>bar, name=>'name', price=>'123'}};
   return ($HR);                                                                       
                      
}                                                                                      
                           
                                                                                       
                           
Otherstuff.pm:                                                                         
                           
my ($HR) = $self->getdata();                                                           
                      
foreach (sort &{$HR->{'sort_sub'}} grep !/sort_sub/ keys %{$HR}) {                     
                                                                           
   my $name = $HR->{$_}{name};                                                         
                           
   ...                                                                                 
                           
}

I'm assuming here that $AR's ordering may change based on a db select
or something similar; if it doesn't, then write it as a regular subroutine.

If sorting that way is really not an option, then just make $AR an array ref
as you had it, make it an element of $HR called 'sort', and change the foreach
Otherstuff.pm to read something like:

foreach (grep !/sort/ @{$HR->{'sort'}}) {
   # la la la
}

darren

-- 
One man's "magic" is another man's engineering.  "Supernatural" is a null word.
    -- Robert Heinlein