Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!caen!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!lll-winken!uunet!stephsf!wengland
From: wengland@stephsf.stephsf.com (Bill England)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.perl
Subject: Re: The best way to search an array ?
Keywords: detab
Message-ID: <452@stephsf.stephsf.com>
Date: 13 Dec 90 00:51:46 GMT
References: <443@stephsf.stephsf.com> <1990Dec3.035541.24184@agora.uucp>
Organization: Stephen Software Systems, Inc., Tacoma WA
Lines: 60

In article <1990Dec3.035541.24184@agora.uucp> markb@agora.uucp (Mark Biggar) writes:
>In article <443@stephsf.stephsf.com> wengland@stephsf.stephsf.com (Bill England) writes:
>
 [...]
>if you don't need the full names just set the associated array value to 1.
>this is a very good way to go if the search set is generated by your
>program.  If you have a very large constant search set using a dbm file
>for it may be the best way to go.
>
>--
>Perl's maternal uncle
>Mark Biggar


  Thanks for the ideas.  I've attached the resulting routine to
  the end of this  article.  I'm not entirely comforatable with
  referancing an array that has been undef'ed yet. ;-)

----- vrfy_state.pl -----
package state_check;
##
 # Copyright(c) 1991, Stephen Software Systems, Inc.
 # This software may be modified and copied under the terms of
 # the GNU Public License.
 #
 # State Check Library
 #   Given a USA $state determine if it is correct.
 #   Return a postmaster approved two letter abreviation.
 #   $state may be either states full name or two letter abreviation.
 #
 #    WSE Created Wed Nov 28 14:08:25 PST 1990
 #
 #    Send problems, suggestions, errors, and 
 #    heresys to support@stephsf.COM.
##

%st_name = split(/!/,
'ALASKA!AK!ALABAMA!AL!ARKANSAS!AR!ARIZONA!AZ!CALIFORNIA!CA!COLORADO!CO!CONNECTICUT!CT!DELAWARE!DE!FLORIDA!FL!GEORGIA!GA!HAWAII!HI!IOWA!IA!IDAHO!ID!ILLINOIS!IL!INDIANA!IN!KANSAS!KS!KENTUCKY!KY!LOUISIANA!LA!MASSACHUSETTS!MA!MARYLAND!MD!MAINE!ME!MICHIGAN!MI!MINNESOTA!MN!MISSOURI!MO!MISSISSIPPI!MS!MONTANA!MT!NEBRASKA!NB!NORTH CAROLINA!NC!NORTH DAKOTA!ND!NEW HAMPSHIRE!NH!NEW JERSEY!NJ!NEW MEXICO!NM!NEVADA!NV!NEW YORK!NY!OHIO!OH!OKLAHOMA!OK!OREGON!OR!PENNSYLVANIA!PA!RHODE ISLAND!RI!SOUTH CAROLINA!SC!SOUTH DAKOTA







!SD!TENNESSEE!TN!TEXAS!TX!UTAH!UT!VIRGINIA!VA!VERMONT!VT!WASHINGTON!WA!WISCONSIN!WI!WEST VIRGINIA!WV!WYOMING!WY');

%st_abr = split(/( )/,'AK AL AR AZ CA CO CT DE FL GA HI IA ID IL IN KS KY LA MA MD ME MI MN MO MS MT NB NC ND NH NJ NM NV NY OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VA VT WA WI WV WY ');

##
 # State_Check
 #   In:  usa_state (two letter abreviation, or full state name )
 #   Out: () || ST(Usa two letter state abreviation)
##
sub main'State_Check {
	local($state) = @_;
	$state =~ y/a-z/A-Z/;

	return $state            if defined($st_abr{$state});
	return $st_name{$state}  if defined($st_name{$state});
	return ();
}

-- 
 +-  Bill England,  wengland@stephsf.COM -----------------------------------+
 |   * *      H -> He +24Mev                                                |
 |  * * * ... Oooo, we're having so much fun making itty bitty suns *       |
 |__ * * ___________________________________________________________________|