use Data::Dumper;

#Next 2 lines make sure only one HTTP request deals with database at once
open LOCKFILE, ">>lock.lck" or die "Could not open the lock file!";
flock LOCKFILE, LOCK_EX or die "Could not flock the lock file!";

#database.dat holds the physical hash
#a 'do' executes the file (rebuilds your time hash)
do "database.dat";

#Get the current date values
@date = localtime();

#loop through the %userTimes hash to find old entries
foreach $user (keys(%userTimes)) {
$last_hour = $userTimes{$user}{'hour'};
$last_min = $userTimes{$user}{'min'};
$cur_hour = $date[2];
$cur_min = $date[1];
$expire = 0;

#Yes, if 3 minutes old
$expire = 1 if ($last_hour == $cur_hour && ($cur_min - $last_min) >= 3);

#there are some exceptions to the 3 minute deal.
#the next lines cover this!
if ($last_hour != $cur_hour) {
$expire = 1 if $last_hour > $cur_hour;
$expire = 1 if $last_min <= 57 && $cur_min >= 0;
$expire = 1 if $last_min == 58 && $cur_min >= 1;
$expire = 1 if $last_min == 59 && $cur_min >= 2;
}
if ($expire == 1) {
delete $userTimes{$user}; #yep, delete them!
}
}

#Output the hash to the database file thingy
$Data::Dumper::Purity = 1; #Need this
$Data::Dumper::Indent = 0; #saves some disk space
open FILE, ">database.dat";
print FILE Data::Dumper->Dump([\%userTimes], ['*userTimes']);
close FILE;