changing the line to } else { did not work all it did was create this: http://65.40.136.120/~files/error.jpg which is the output I get and all i need it to say is Car Record Not Found once not multiple times

Hello PilotinControl,

The output “Car Record Not Found” appears multiple times because it is within a loop. You need to change the logic to something like this (untested):

    my $found = 0;

    foreach my $carroadnameverify2 (@lines)
    {
        if ($carroadnameverify2 =~ /$carroadnameverify/)
        {
            printf "           %-13s %-15s %-12s %0s", split(/:/, $car
+roadnameverify2);
            $found = 1;
            last;
        }
    }

    print "CAR RECORD NOT FOUND" unless $found;
[download]

(This assumes that each car record appears no more than once in the input file. If this is not the case, remove the last; statement from within the if clause.)

Hope that helps,

Athanasius <°(((>< contra mundum

Iustus alius egestas vitae, eros Piratica,

...all i need it to say is Car Record Not Found once not multiple times...

You have the following:

...

foreach my $carroadnameverify2 (@lines) {
    if ( $carroadnameverify2 =~ /$carroadnameverify/ ) {
        my $format = "           %-13s %-15s %-12s %0s";
        printf( "$format", split /\:/, "$carroadnameverify2" );
    }
    else {
        printf("CAR RECORD NOT FOUND");
    }

}    # END FILE LOOP

...
[download]

Indeed, if you have 10 non-matches within the foreach loop, "CAR RECORD NOT FOUND" will be printed 10 times. It seems, however, that you may be looking for something like the following:

...

my $found = 0;

foreach my $carroadnameverify2 (@lines) {
    if ( $carroadnameverify2 =~ /$carroadnameverify/ ) {
        my $format = "           %-13s %-15s %-12s %0s";
        printf( "$format", split /\:/, "$carroadnameverify2" );
        $found = 1;
    }

}    # END FILE LOOP

printf("CAR RECORD NOT FOUND") if !$found;

...
[download]

This just uses $found as a flag; if it's not set (i.e., if the item wasn't found in the array), the "CAR RECORD NOT FOUND" message is printed only once.