NAME¶
Tie::IxHash - ordered associative arrays for Perl
SYNOPSIS¶
# simple usage
use Tie::IxHash;
tie HASHVARIABLE, 'Tie::IxHash' [, LIST];
# OO interface with more powerful features
use Tie::IxHash;
TIEOBJECT = Tie::IxHash->new( [LIST] );
TIEOBJECT->Splice( OFFSET [, LENGTH [, LIST]] );
TIEOBJECT->Push( LIST );
TIEOBJECT->Pop;
TIEOBJECT->Shift;
TIEOBJECT->Unshift( LIST );
TIEOBJECT->Keys( [LIST] );
TIEOBJECT->Values( [LIST] );
TIEOBJECT->Indices( LIST );
TIEOBJECT->Delete( [LIST] );
TIEOBJECT->Replace( OFFSET, VALUE, [KEY] );
TIEOBJECT->Reorder( LIST );
TIEOBJECT->SortByKey;
TIEOBJECT->SortByValue;
TIEOBJECT->Length;
DESCRIPTION¶
This Perl module implements Perl hashes that preserve the order in which the
hash elements were added. The order is not affected when values corresponding
to existing keys in the IxHash are changed. The elements can also be set to
any arbitrary supplied order. The familiar perl array operations can also be
performed on the IxHash.
Standard "TIEHASH" Interface¶
The standard "TIEHASH" mechanism is available. This interface is
recommended for simple uses, since the usage is exactly the same as regular
Perl hashes after the "tie" is declared.
Object Interface¶
This module also provides an extended object-oriented interface that can be used
for more powerful operations with the IxHash. The following methods are
available:
- FETCH, STORE, DELETE, EXISTS
- These standard "TIEHASH" methods mandated by Perl can be used
directly. See the "tie" entry in perlfunc(1) for
details.
- Push, Pop, Shift, Unshift, Splice
- These additional methods resembling Perl functions are available for
operating on key-value pairs in the IxHash. The behavior is the same as
the corresponding perl functions, except when a supplied hash key already
exists in the hash. In that case, the existing value is updated but its
order is not affected. To unconditionally alter the order of a supplied
key-value pair, first "DELETE" the IxHash element.
- Keys
- Returns an array of IxHash element keys corresponding to the list of
supplied indices. Returns an array of all the keys if called without
arguments. Note the return value is mostly only useful when used in a list
context (since perl will convert it to the number of elements in the array
when used in a scalar context, and that may not be very useful).
If a single argument is given, returns the single key corresponding to the
index. This is usable in either scalar or list context.
- Values
- Returns an array of IxHash element values corresponding to the list of
supplied indices. Returns an array of all the values if called without
arguments. Note the return value is mostly only useful when used in a list
context (since perl will convert it to the number of elements in the array
when used in a scalar context, and that may not be very useful).
If a single argument is given, returns the single value corresponding to the
index. This is usable in either scalar or list context.
- Indices
- Returns an array of indices corresponding to the supplied list of keys.
Note the return value is mostly only useful when used in a list context
(since perl will convert it to the number of elements in the array when
used in a scalar context, and that may not be very useful).
If a single argument is given, returns the single index corresponding to the
key. This is usable in either scalar or list context.
- Delete
- Removes elements with the supplied keys from the IxHash.
- Replace
- Substitutes the IxHash element at the specified index with the supplied
value-key pair. If a key is not supplied, simply substitutes the value at
index with the supplied value. If an element with the supplied key already
exists, it will be removed from the IxHash first.
- Reorder
- This method can be used to manipulate the internal order of the IxHash
elements by supplying a list of keys in the desired order. Note however,
that any IxHash elements whose keys are not in the list will be removed
from the IxHash.
- Length
- Returns the number of IxHash elements.
- SortByKey
- Reorders the IxHash elements by textual comparison of the keys.
- SortByValue
- Reorders the IxHash elements by textual comparison of the values.
- Clear
- Resets the IxHash to its pristine state: with no elements at all.
EXAMPLE¶
use Tie::IxHash;
# simple interface
$t = tie(%myhash, 'Tie::IxHash', 'a' => 1, 'b' => 2);
%myhash = (first => 1, second => 2, third => 3);
$myhash{fourth} = 4;
@keys = keys %myhash;
@values = values %myhash;
print("y") if exists $myhash{third};
# OO interface
$t = Tie::IxHash->new(first => 1, second => 2, third => 3);
$t->Push(fourth => 4); # same as $myhash{'fourth'} = 4;
($k, $v) = $t->Pop; # $k is 'fourth', $v is 4
$t->Unshift(neg => -1, zeroth => 0);
($k, $v) = $t->Shift; # $k is 'neg', $v is -1
@oneandtwo = $t->Splice(1, 2, foo => 100, bar => 101);
@keys = $t->Keys;
@values = $t->Values;
@indices = $t->Indices('foo', 'zeroth');
@itemkeys = $t->Keys(@indices);
@itemvals = $t->Values(@indices);
$t->Replace(2, 0.3, 'other');
$t->Delete('second', 'zeroth');
$len = $t->Length; # number of key-value pairs
$t->Reorder(reverse @keys);
$t->SortByKey;
$t->SortByValue;
BUGS¶
You cannot specify a negative length to "Splice". Negative indexes are
OK, though.
NOTE¶
Indexing always begins at 0 (despite the current $[ setting) for all the
functions.
TODO¶
Addition of elements with keys that already exist to the end of the IxHash must
be controlled by a switch.
Provide "TIEARRAY" interface when it stabilizes in Perl.
Rewrite using XSUBs for efficiency.
AUTHOR¶
Gurusamy Sarathy gsar@umich.edu
Copyright (c) 1995 Gurusamy Sarathy. All rights reserved. This program is free
software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as
Perl itself.
VERSION¶
Version 1.23
SEE ALSO¶
perl(1)