#get first character in target_dir my $first_char = substr( $target_dir, 0, 1 ); writeLog( "debug - first character in target_dir $target_dir = $first +_char" ) if ( $debug ); if ( $first_char ne '/' ) { writeLog( "debug - adding / to beginning of target_dir $target_dir" +) if ( $debug ); #add "/" to beginning of filepath $target_dir = '/'.$target_dir; } else { writeLog( "debug - / already exists at beginning. target_dir remains + $target_dir" ) if ( $debug ); } #beginning has already been checked for "/" so check for addl # "/"s at position 1 ( ///IN/CF/ becomes /IN/CF/ ) #if position 1 is "/" chop it out and continue until position #1 is not a "/" writeLog( "debug - checking for multiple '/'s at beginning of target +dir $target_dir" ) if ( $debug ); my $second_char = substr( $target_dir, 1, 1); writeLog( "debug - initial second character in target_dir $target_dir + = $second_char" ) if ( $debug ); while ( substr( $target_dir, 1, 1) eq '/' ) { writeLog( "debug - removing / from second character in target_dir $t +arget_dir" ) if ( $debug ); chop( substr( $target_dir, 1, 1 ) ); writeLog( "debug - target_dir = $target_dir" ) if ( $debug ); }