Search::Dict(3pm)

✨ NAME ✨

Okay bestie, vibe check: this is the Search::Dict(3pm) page from the Perl Programmers Reference Guide, and the name is literally Search::Dict — look — search for key in dictionary file. That's the whole assignment, periodt. 🫶

🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

use Search::Dict;
look *FILEHANDLE, $key, $dict, $fold;

use Search::Dict;
look *FILEHANDLE, $key, $params;

💅 DESCRIPTION 💅

So here's the tea, no cap: this sets the file position in FILEHANDLE to the first line that is greater than or equal to (stringwise) $key. It returns the new file position, or -1 if an error occurs. Iconic, lowkey. ✨

The flags are giving dictionary order and case folding, and honestly they're not complicated:

• $dict — if $dict is true, search by dictionary order (ignore anything but word characters and whitespace). The default is to honour all characters. 🦋
• $fold — if $fold is true, ignore case. The default is to honour case. 🌸

If there are only three arguments and the third argument is a hash reference, the keys of that hash can have values "dict", "fold", and "comp" or "xfrm" (see below), and their corresponding values will be used as the parameters. iykyk. 💅

If a comparison subroutine (comp) is defined, it must return less than zero, zero, or greater than zero, if the first comparand is less than, equal, or greater than the second comparand. That's the comparison vibe check, fr fr. 🔥

If a transformation subroutine (xfrm) is defined, its value is used to transform the lines read from the filehandle before their comparison. Main character energy for real. 👑

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Okay bye bestie! 💖 source/version: perl v5.42.3 · date: 2026-11-03 · page: Search::Dict(3pm). Slay, and stay hydrated. 🎀