From: Ne Scripter <stuart.clarke@...>
Date: 2009-09-03T18:58:14+09:00
Subject: Counter problem for specific file types

Hi all,

This is a real teaser for me and would appreciate some help with the
logic. I want to introduce some numbering to a data set. Basically I
have two sets of items the,a control item and a process item. The
control item is always assigned the number 0 eg. if type == "Control"
number = "0" end

A control item may or may not have process, and may have multiple
processes. I have a while loop that goes through every single item and
when it encounters a Control item it assigns it a 0, what I want it to
do also is assign a continuous number to each process item.

Take this algorithm

if type = "control"
number = 0
elsif type = "process"
 number = counter starting at one
end

It will keep adding a continuous  number to each process item until it
comes across a type of control or something else. So you will end up
with an output like this

control, 0
process, 1
process, 2
process, 3,
control, 0
process, 1
something else, NULL
control, 0
control, 0
process, 1

and so on.

I hope I am making sense with this, remember this code is in a while
loop going through each individual item.

Any input to get started on this is greatly appreciated.
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