Generate files from a template with values from a list

Generate files from a template with values from a list

[zzapper]

Hi
Don't know where to start with this shell or Perl.

I have an html template file which contains two fields xx_ and yy_

I need to generate a number of copies of pages from this template each time 
replacing the fields xx_ and yy_ with values from a list.

The list contains 49 xx_ yy_ pairs eg

11,234
15,235
21,236
..
..
etc

So I want to create 49 pages each populated from one pair from the list

ideas?

-- 
zzapper
http://successtheory.com/tips/ Vim, Zsh, MySQL Tips

Re: Generate files from a template with values from a list

[Phil Pennock]

On 2007-05-03 at 23:45 +0000, zzapper wrote:
> I have an html template file which contains two fields xx_ and yy_
> 
> I need to generate a number of copies of pages from this template each time 
> replacing the fields xx_ and yy_ with values from a list.
> 
> The list contains 49 xx_ yy_ pairs eg
> 
> 11,234
> 15,235
> 21,236
> ..
> ..
> etc
> 
> So I want to create 49 pages each populated from one pair from the list

You don't say how those new files will be named.  I'm sticking 1..49 in
them by using a shell variable "index" below.

If by list you mean a file with those items in it:

local -i index=0
while IFS=, read xx yy
do
  index+=1
  perl_that_is_below
done < listfile

otherwise, if you mean you have an array in zsh, then:

local -i index=0
for z in $list; do xx=${z%,*}; yy=${z#*,}
  index+=1
  perl_that_is_below
done

Note that this Perl is not safe if $xx or $yy can contain arbitrary
text, or anything with backslashes; if that is the case, the safest way
to pass them without any escaping issues is probably to pass via the
environment and use something like $xx = quotemeta $ENV{xx}
(and use single-quotes at the shell level to let those dollars through
to Perl).

perl <template >newfile.$index.html -pe "s/xx_/$xx/g; s/yy_/$yy/g"

All untested.  E&OE.  "man perlrun" for information on "-p".

You could do it all in Perl, but then use lose the convenience of
"perl -p"; you could do it all in zsh, I'm sure, but it's easier and
cleaner to do the substitution stuff in Perl.  For me.  Other people who
have minds less contaminated by Perl may well disagree.

-Phil

Re: Generate files from a template with values from a list

[zzapper]

Phil Pennock <zsh-workers+phil.pennock@spodhuis.org> wrote in
news:20070504060311.GA7884@redoubt.spodhuis.org: 

> On 2007-05-03 at 23:45 +0000, zzapper wrote:
>> I have an html template file which contains two fields xx_ and yy_
>> 
>> I need to generate a number of copies of pages from this template each
>> time replacing the fields xx_ and yy_ with values from a list.
>> 
>> The list contains 49 xx_ yy_ pairs eg
>> 
>> 11,234
>> 15,235
>> 21,236
>> ..
>> ..
>> etc
>> 
>> So I want to create 49 pages each populated from one pair from the list
Thanks Phil,
In fact a pure Perl solution turned out to be trivial.
1) Put list of xx_, yy_ pairs into an array of arrays
2) Put template into a hereis variable
3) for loop,substitute,write to file, Bob's Your Aunty

always been interested in where the shell/perl script boundary is.

Re: Generate files from a template with values from a list

[Lorenzo E. Danielsson]

On Fri, May 04, 2007 at 10:02:11AM +0000, zzapper wrote:
> Phil Pennock <zsh-workers+phil.pennock@spodhuis.org> wrote in
> news:20070504060311.GA7884@redoubt.spodhuis.org: 
> 
> > On 2007-05-03 at 23:45 +0000, zzapper wrote:
> >> I have an html template file which contains two fields xx_ and yy_
> >> 
> >> I need to generate a number of copies of pages from this template each
> >> time replacing the fields xx_ and yy_ with values from a list.
> >> 
> >> The list contains 49 xx_ yy_ pairs eg
> >> 
> >> 11,234
> >> 15,235
> >> 21,236
> >> ..
> >> ..
> >> etc
> >> 
> >> So I want to create 49 pages each populated from one pair from the list
> Thanks Phil,
> In fact a pure Perl solution turned out to be trivial.
> 1) Put list of xx_, yy_ pairs into an array of arrays
> 2) Put template into a hereis variable
> 3) for loop,substitute,write to file, Bob's Your Aunty
> 
> always been interested in where the shell/perl script boundary is.
> 
> 
I really don't think there is a clear boundary. It's a matter of which
gets the job done (for you). In this case you found that implementing
the script in Perl did the job. Somebody else might have (equally
trivially) done the same thing in zsh, Ruby, or maybe even in Monty 
Python's Flying Circus.

There are a few cases where I would argue that Perl is definately a
better choice than zsh. Equally, there are a few cases where I would say
that zsh is definately the better tool for the job. In all other cases
(that huge grey zone in between), it all depends on which one you are 
more familiar with, what mood you are in, what you had for breakfast 
and so on.