Testing numeric user input against array elements - arrays

Question

I'm making a simple fortune teller program for a class. I wanted to start by having the user choose between four numbers, like on a paper fortune teller (cootie catcher, as it were).
I created an array, #number_choices = ( 1, 2, 3, 4 ); and I wanted to make sure the user input was equal to one of the numbers in the array. Here is what I have so far, which is not working at all (when I run the program, it prints the error message no matter what number I enter, except for sometimes 2 or 1):
my $number_chosen = <STDIN>;
chomp ($number_chosen);
my $num;
my $found = 0;
while ( $found == 0 )
{
foreach $num (#number_choices)
{
if ($number_chosen == $num)
{
$found = 1;
last;
}
else
{
print "I'm sorry, that number is not valid. Please pick a number: " . join(', ', #number_choices) . "\n";
$number_chosen = <STDIN>;
chomp ($number_chosen);
}
}
}

Answer 1

You have a logic error. You choose a number but for every loop through the array it makes you choose another one, so if in the second loop you enter number 2 it will be right regardless of your first input, and same number 3 for third loop.
You should put the error message out of the foreach loop and ask for a number inside the while. Besides that, the last only goes out of the nearest loop, so you need to use a label to go out of the while. Something similar to following dirty solution:
my #number_choices = (1, 2, 3, 4);
my $num;
my $found = 0;
LOOP:
while ( $found == 0 )
{
$number_chosen = <STDIN>;
chomp ($number_chosen);
foreach $num (#number_choices)
{
if ($number_chosen == $num)
{
$found = 1;
last LOOP;
}
}
print "I'm sorry, that number is not valid. Please pick a number: " . join(', ', #number_choices) . "\n";
}