Thanks for the reply, I don't have date::calc but I can CPAN it right now. I need a list set like this: ID date 3008 11/1/03 3008 11/1/03 3008 11/1/03 3010 12/1/03 3010 12/1/03
So I need repeating ID's, with the earliest date for each ID. If the order of the data is preserved, I can use just those two columns for processing, then combine them back with the other columns afterward. --- Rob Dixon <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > John Fitzgerald wrote: > > > > Hi, I'm fairly new to Perl, and trying to do a > simple > > operation on a text file exported from excel. > > ID Enrolled Extraneous Columns.... > > 3008 05-Aug-03 > > 3008 05-Aug-03 > > 3008 05-Aug-03 > > 3008 05-Aug-03 > > 3008 24-Sep-03 > > 3009 11-Aug-03 > > 3010 19-Nov-03 > > 3010 11-Jul-03 > > 3010 11-Jul-03 > > 3010 11-Jul-03 > > 3011 15-Jul-03 > > > > As you can see, the dates for a given ID are > > different. What I need to do, is set the dates all > to > > the earliest date for that ID (client-birth date). > The > > other columns are are important, but don't factor > in > > here. > > Hi John. > > First, you need to decide what the output is to be. > Do you > just want a list like: > > 3008 01-Jan-1970 > 3009 01-Jan-1970 > 3010 01-Jan-1970 > 3011 01-Jan-1970 > > with each date set to the earliest found? Or do you > also need > the 'Extraneous Columns'? > > Second: do you have a copy of Date::Calc installed? > > perldoc Date::Calc > > will tell you if you don't know. > > Then you need to know how to use hashes. But let us > know > the other stuff first :) > > Rob > > > > -- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > For additional commands, e-mail: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > <http://learn.perl.org/> > <http://learn.perl.org/first-response> > > __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? New Yahoo! Photos - easier uploading and sharing. http://photos.yahoo.com/ -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <http://learn.perl.org/> <http://learn.perl.org/first-response>
