# db8_read - Perl function for reading records in the DB822 format
# 2000-2017 Vlado Keselj, version 1.4; documentation in DB822.txt
sub db8_read {
  my $arg = shift;
  if ($arg =~ /^file=/) {
    my $f = $'; local *F; open(F, $f) or die "cannot open $f:$!";
    $arg = join('', <F>);
    close(F);
  }

  my $db = [];
  while ($arg) {
    my $prologue;
    if ($arg =~ /^([ \t\r]*(#.*)?\n)+/) { $prologue = $&; $arg = $'; }
    last if $arg eq ''; my $record;
    if ($arg =~ /([ \t\r]*\n){2,}/) { $record = "$`\n"; $arg = $'; }
    else { $record = $arg; $arg = ''; }
    my $r = {};
    while ($record) {
      $record =~ /^[ \t]*([^\n:]*?)[ \t]*:/ or die "db8: no attribute";
      my $k = $1; $record = $';
      while ($record =~ /^(.*)(\\\r?\n|\r?\n[ \t]+)(\S.*)/)
      { $record = "$1 $3$'" }
      $record =~ /^[ \t]*(.*?)[ \t\r]*\n/ or die;
      my $v = $1; $record = $';
      if (exists($r->{$k})) {
	my $c = 0;
	while (exists($r->{"$k-$c"})) { ++$c }
	$k = "$k-$c";
      }
      $r->{$k} = $v;
    }
    push @{ $db }, $r;
  }
  return $db;
}