File Parsing and emailing

[lanlord]

I am trying to read chunks of data from a file and emailing parts of it to certain users. I can get the email done but I can't figure out how to get my data out!<br>
I have markers in a flat file to signify the beginning of my data, the username I'll mail to and then a block of data.<br>
<br>
I need to start at ##BEGIN, get the username from #NAME=mailuser, and then pipe all the data between #NAME=mailuser and ##END into a mail message, then start over until I reach the end of my file.<br>
<br>
Any help is welcomed!!<br>
Thanks<br>
<br>
My data file is like so:<br>
<br>
##BEGIN<br>
#NAME=mailuser<br>
<br>
Bunch of data goes here<br>
and here.. this is still mailsuers' data<br>
<br>
##END<br>
##BEGIN<br>
#NAME=mailuser2<br>
<br>
This is where I put mailusers2's data<br>
etc..etc..<br>
<br>
##END

 

[AndyBo]

Hmmmm.... I've had to do something similar in the past in a previous job, and I don't have the code available. However, IIRC, the following &quot;pseudo-code&quot; is pretty much what I did...<br>
<br>
open file<br>
<br>
while read lines from file<br>
if (line == start pattern && $In_Block_Of_Data == 0)<br>
then<br>
$In_Block_Of_Data = 1<br>
continue # To go on to next line in file.<br>
else<br>
if (line == end pattern && $In_Block_Of_Data == 1)<br>
then<br>
$In_Block_Of_Data = 0<br>
continue # To read next line in file.<br>
else<br>
if ( $In_Block_Of_Data == 1)<br>
then<br>
# Do data processing here.<br>
else<br>
# Some kind of unexpected situation occurred, eg block start with no end.<br>
# Check and deal with it.<br>
endif<br>
endif<br>
endif<br>
end while<br>
<br>
There's probably an easier way of doing this, but this worked for me at the time when I needed it. Hope it helps.