Finding the Largest Numeric Value in an Array: A Perl Solution

[Monique]

How do you return the largest numeric value in an array, in Perl?

 

[da_willem]

Maybe this helps (I don't have any Perl skills, only Googling skills ).

sub max
{ my $max = pop(@_);
foreach (@_)
{ $max = $_ if $_ > $max;
}
$max;
}

http://www.codetoad.com/forum/18_23829.asp

 

[NateTG]

How do you return the largest numeric value in an array, in Perl?

I don't think perl has a maximum function so you have to do something like

my $tmp='';
map {$tmp=$_ if ($_>$tmp and $_=~/^-?\d*.?\d*$/s and $_=~ /\d/}  @array
die("The array doesn't contain any numbers ") unless ($tmp=~ /\d/);
return $tmp;

 

[Hurkyl]

I always try to advise people by asking how they would do it.

If you had to find the largest number in a list of a million numbers, how would you do it?

You would probably go through it one by one, remembering the largest number you've seen.


So, that's how you should do it on the computer: you have a variable for storing the largest number you've seen, and you iterate through the array, updating this variable whenever you see a bigger number.

 

[Monique]

Well, luckily I only needed to compare three values so I took the easy way out:

        if ($frame1>$frame2&&$frame3){
            $ORF=$frame1;
        } elsif ($frame2>$frame3){
            $ORF=$frame2;
        } else {
            $ORF=$frame3;
        }

I guess the way you suggest would be best for a large array, thanks :)

 

[Hurkyl]

$frame1>$frame2&&$frame3

I'm not familiar with Perl syntax, but don't you mean something like ($frame1>$frame2)&&($frame1>$frame3)? (In other languages, at least, the two are much different)

 

[Monique]

Hey, thanks! I tested it with some numbers and you're right