Use of uninitialised values error when values have been initialised :(

[Chronictank]

Hi, as a bit of background (and seeing as it is my first post :)) i am a complete newbie at perl. I literally picked it up a week ago to do this project as it seemed like the best choice for a language to connect to a SQL database in a Unix envirment as well as script parsing so there is more than likely a ton of things i could have done a better way.
I have been at this for 3 days now and cant for the life of me work out why the code is piping out errors

Th input into the code for sake of simplicity as i think the rest of my errors are essentially the same thing is:

Dec 16 07:50:22 xxxx-vpn-xxx 1765156 12/16/2007 07:50:21.110 SEV=6 IKEDBG/64 RPT=183939 10.100.250.100  IKE Peer included IKE fragmentation capability flags: Main Mode:        True Aggressive Mode:  False

The code works but the errors i am getting are:
Use of uninitialized value in concatenation (.) or string at parser.pl line 62.
at parser.pl line 62
Use of uninitialized value in concatenation (.) or string at parser.pl line 64.
at parser.pl line 64

Now i know this means that a value wasn't declared or explicitly stated but i cant see how this is possible as i give them all the value 'null' when i declare them and then these null values are changed where necessary,
Before in the

if ($currentIP eq $sessionIP){ }

statements, even though essentially the code wouldnt get that far because it would be caught by

if($currentCode=~ m/(IKEDBG\/64)|(IKE\/52)|.....|(IKE\/49)|(IKE\/75)/){

As being an invalid line adding a check to see if sessionIP contained something got rid of the error message

This is just a snippet so it probably wont compile if you would like more please dont hesitate to ask

#!/usr/bin/perl-w
                  #-w use warnings
                  #-T use Taint to ensure program is secure
 
use strict;                     #Force variable declarations
# Functions to locate errors
use Carp ();
local $SIG{__WARN__} = \&Carp::cluck;
 
 
#=== Delcare Varibles ===#
my $line = undef;               #Line to be processed
my $file = 'testLog.txt';       #Path to log file
my @log = undef;              #Stores lines from log file
 
# Session Data Array as global (to avoid un-neccesary processing when passed into function)
our @sessions = (
    # Session Data Holding Variables
    {'clientIPAddress' => undef,    #Address assigned from IP pool
     'currentCode' => 'Initialiser',#Current IKE code being processed
     'connectDate' => 'null',        #Date of connection to access point
     'connectTime' => 'null',        #Time of connection to access point
     'userID' => 'null',             #Username unique to user
     'authenticationTime' => 'null', #Time user's has been authenticated
     'groupID' => 'null',            #VPN group user belongs to (usually Roamnet)
     'platformType' => 'null',       #Platform user is running Windows, Unix etc..
     'clientVersion' => 'null',      #Version of VPN client
     'vpnPoolAddress' => 'null',     #IP address assigned from VPN pool
     'disconnectTime' => 'null',     #Time session was disconnected
     'duration' => 'null',           #Duration of session
     'bytesTx' => 'null',            #Bytes Transmitted
     'bytesRx' => 'null',            #Bytes Recieved
     'reasonForDisconnect' => 'null',#Reason for connection termination
     'errorMessages' => undef,      #Additional error messages
     'state' => 'Disconnected'      #State of session
   }
);
 
 
#=== Get data from file ===
open(LOG, $file) or die "Cannot open $!";    #Open file under the handle LOG
 
for $line (<LOG>){      #Read file into @log
  if($line){
    chomp($line);       #Removes new line character from entry
    process_log($line); #Call function to precess log line
  } else {              #Check to see if line is empty
    print 'Warning Line is Empty <BR>\n';
  }
 
}
close(LOG);             #Close the log file
 
 
 ### =================== TESTING - REMOVE ME = =============================
 my $totalSessions = scalar (@sessions);
 print ':::';
 for (my $n=0; $n < $totalSessions; $n++){
       print 'currentcode = '.$sessions[$n]{"currentCode"}.'<br>';
       print 'connectdate = '.$sessions[$n]{"connectDate"}.'<br>';
       print 'connecttime = '.$sessions[$n]{"connectTime"}.'<br>';
       print 'clientip = '.$sessions[$n]{"clientIPAddress"}.'<br>';
       print 'state = '.$sessions[$n]{"state"}.'<br>';
       print 'authentication date = '.$sessions[$n]{"authenticationDate"}.'<br>';
       print 'authentication time = '.$sessions[$n]{"authenticationTime"}.'<br>';
       print 'userID = '.$sessions[$n]{"userID"}.'<br>';
       print 'groupID = '.$sessions[$n]{"groupID"}.'<br>';
       print 'platformType = '.$sessions[$n]{"platformType"}.'<br>';
       print 'clientVersion = '.$sessions[$n]{"clientVersion"}.'<br>';
       print 'vpnPoolAddress = '.$sessions[$n]{"vpnPoolAddress"}.'<br>';
       print 'disconnectTime = '.$sessions[$n]{"disconnectTime"}.'<br>';
       print 'duration = '.$sessions[$n]{"duration"}.'<br>';
       print 'bytesTx = '.$sessions[$n]{"bytesTx"}.'<br>';
       print 'bytesRx = '.$sessions[$n]{"bytesRx"}.'<br>';
       print 'reasonForDisconnect = '.$sessions[$n]{"reasonForDisconnect"}.'<br>';
       print 'errorMessages = '.$sessions[$n]{"errorMessages"}.'<br>';
       print '<br>';
   }
 ### =========== END TESTING ==============================================
 
 
 #=== Sub Routines ===
 
 sub process_log { #Script to parse logs
 
 #== Parameters passed into function ==
 #$line (@_) line being processed
 
 #== Declare Variables ==
 my $currentCode = undef;                          #Code being processed
 my $currentIP = undef;                            #IP of line being processed
 my $currentUserID = undef;                        #UserID of line being processed
 my $numberOfSessions = undef;                     #Number of sessions in the array
 my $data = undef;                                 #Stores result of regex expressions
 my $currentLine = undef;                          #Whole Line currently being processed
 my $errors = undef;                               #Stores erorrs in log parsing
 my $sessionIP = undef;                            #Used to store IP for session during search
 my $sessionUserID = undef;                        #Used to store userID for session during search
 #=== Store elements from line ===
 
 $currentLine = shift;                              #Get line passed into function
 my @seperatedLine = split(/\s/, $currentLine);     #Split line based on empty space delimitation
 $currentIP = $seperatedLine[10];                   #Get IP from line
 $numberOfSessions = scalar (@sessions);            #Get number of elements sessions array
 $currentLine =~ m/SEV=\d (.*) RPT/;                #Extract current code from line
 $currentCode = $1;                                 #Get current code
 
 if($currentCode){                                  #Check if line contains a code
  }else{
   #no code found
   next;
 }
 
 #Check for an unknown error code and corrupted lines
 if($currentCode=~ m/(IKEDBG\/64)|(IKE\/52)|(AUTH\/5)|(IKE\/22)|(IKE\/100)|(IKE\/98)|(AUTH\/9)|(IKE\/167)|(IKE\/184)|(AUTH\/22)|(IKE\/194)|(IKE\/119)|(IKE\/136)|
(IKE\/25)|(IKE\/34)|(IKE\/50)|(AUTH\/28)|(IKE\/123)|(IKE\/66)|(IKE\/120)|(IKE\/49)|(IKE\/75)/){
    #code found
}else{
  $errors = 'Log Error: \''.$currentLine.'\'<BR>';
  #print $errors; #========================== Save error to log file/database =========================
  next;
}
 
 # IKE/DBG64
 if ($currentCode eq 'IKEDBG/64'){
      for (my $i=1; $i <= $numberOfSessions; $i++){                 #Check to see if session already exists
        $sessionIP = $sessions[$i]{"clientIPAddress"};              #Get IP for selected session
        if($sessionIP){                                             #Check if line contains a IP
          if ($currentIP eq $sessionIP){                            #Compare IP
            #-Session Exists-
            #Check for illegal connections (session not terminated correctly)
            my $sessionState = $sessions[$i]{"state"};              #Get current state of session
            if ($sessionState eq 'Disconnected'){
              #--Legal Session--
              $sessions[$i]{"state"} = 'Connecting';                #Progress state to connecting
              last;                                                 #Break out of loop
              }else{
              #--Illegal Session--
              #Error Message
              $sessions[$i]{"reasonForDisconnect"} = 'Session was not teminated correctly and has been termintated by parser';
              save_session($i);                                     #Call save_session function
              splice(@sessions,$i,1);                               #Delete the current session
              #Create new session
              create_new_session($i);
              $sessions[$i]{"clientIPAddress"} = $seperatedLine[10];#Used as key for session
              $sessions[$i]{'currentCode'} = $currentCode;          #Store current code for debugging
              $sessions[$i]{"connectDate"} = $seperatedLine[5];
              $sessions[$i]{"connectTime"} = $seperatedLine[6];
              last;                                                 #Break out of loop
            }
          }
        }else{
          #-Session doesn't exist-
          #Create new session
          create_new_session($numberOfSessions);                                 #As the array starts from 0, $numberOfSessions will
                                                                                 #always be greater than the index for the last session.
          $sessions[$numberOfSessions]{"clientIPAddress"} =  $seperatedLine[10]; #Used as key for session
          $sessions[$numberOfSessions]{'currentCode'} = $currentCode;            #Store current code
          $sessions[$numberOfSessions]{"connectDate"} = $seperatedLine[5];
          $sessions[$numberOfSessions]{"connectTime"} = $seperatedLine[6];
        }
      }
 }
 

Any help would be much appreciated

Thanks

[KevinADC]

It appears that variables, like 'clientIPAddres s' => undef, are not initialized before you try printing a little bit later:

print 'clientip = '.$sessions[$n]{"clientIPAddre ss"}.'<br>';

same with

print 'authentication date = '.$sessions[$n]{"authenticatio nDate"}.'<br>';

there is no "authentication Date" in the initial data set @sessions. Why are you using an array that contains an annonymous hash? Are there more annonymous hashes in the array?

[Chronictank]

It appears that variables, like 'clientIPAddres s' => undef, are not initialized before you try printing a little bit later:

print 'clientip = '.$sessions[$n]{"clientIPAddre ss"}.'<br>';

same with

print 'authentication date = '.$sessions[$n]{"authenticatio nDate"}.'<br>';

there is no "authentication Date" in the initial data set @sessions.

Maybe it's me being dim I dont quite understand :s, surely the set is initialised when i make the template entry and put 'null' values into them from the get go

i use the same method to create a new "session" later on in the function create_session. (see below)
If anything shouldn't it just print 'null'?
I used undef for the client IP and other things so that i could do a check to see if there was anything in the variable, if there wasnt the loop would break and if there was it would continue to try avoid the uninitialised problems

sub create_new_session {            #Script to create a blank session
 
 my $sessionID = shift;                                  #Session ID
 # Create empty session
 $sessions[$sessionID]{'clientIPAddress'} = undef;    #Address assigned from IP pool
 $sessions[$sessionID]{'currentCode'} = 'Initialiser';        #Current IKE code being processed
 $sessions[$sessionID]{'connectDate'} = 'null';        #Date of connection to access point
 $sessions[$sessionID]{'connectTime'} = 'null';        #Time of connection to access point
 $sessions[$sessionID]{'userID'} = 'null';             #Username unique to user
 $sessions[$sessionID]{'authenticationDate'} = 'null'; #Date user's has been authenticated
 $sessions[$sessionID]{'authenticationTime'} = 'null'; #Time user's has been authenticated
 $sessions[$sessionID]{'groupID'} = 'null';            #VPN group user belongs to (usually Roamnet)
 $sessions[$sessionID]{'platformType'} = 'null';       #Platform user is running Windows, Unix etc..
 $sessions[$sessionID]{'clientVersion'} = 'null';      #Version of VPN client
 $sessions[$sessionID]{'vpnPoolAddress'} = 'null';     #IP address assigned from VPN pool
 $sessions[$sessionID]{'disconnectTime'} = 'null';     #Time session was disconnected
 $sessions[$sessionID]{'duration'} = 'null';           #Duration of session
 $sessions[$sessionID]{'bytesTx'} = 'null';            #Bytes Transmitted
 $sessions[$sessionID]{'bytesRx'} = 'null';            #Bytes Recieved
 $sessions[$sessionID]{'reasonForDisconnect'} = undef;#Reason for connection termination
 $sessions[$sessionID]{'errorMessages'} = undef;      #Additional error messages
 $sessions[$sessionID]{'state'} = 'Disconnected';      #State of session
} #End Create empty session
 

Why are you using an array that contains an annonymous hash? Are there more annonymous hashes in the array?

It's because more than one session needs to be tracked at any one time as the script is intended to parse live logs, therefore needs to be done on a line by line basis rather than pull a session out the logs save it and move on.

I created the empty session at the top to make the code easier to read and so i could delcare and initialise all the variables to try avoid the error i am getting

[eWish]

If anything shouldn't it just print 'null'?

If you want insert a null value into the db you have to use 'undef'. Otherwise, you are just printing the word 'Null' which is not the same as a null/undefined value.

Here is an example where if $value is not defined, then it will use undef.

my $value = $some_other_value || undef;

[KevinADC]

the value of 'null' is a string, so those variables are defined, undef means undefined, so any value assigned the value of undef is undefined.

use warnings;
$foo = undef;
print $foo;

The above returns a warnings about "uninitiali zed value in print" which is essentially the same warning you are getting.