#! perl -slw use strict; local $/ = "\n>"; while( ) { chomp; my( $label, $data ) = m[\A>?(.*?)\n(.*)$]sm; $data =~ tr[\n][]d; printf "%20s : %s\n", $label, $data; } =Output P:\test>junk3 Record 1 : AGTCTAGTCATCATCATAAGATCATCAATCACA Other Record 1 : ATGAACAGCAGATGAAGAATGGATAG Record 2 : AGTCTAGTCATCATCATAAGATCATCAATCACA Other Record 2 : ATGAACAGCAGATGAAGAATGGATAG =cut __DATA__ >Record 1 AGTCTAGTCAT CATCATAAGAT CATCAATCACA >Other Record 1 ATGAACAGCAG ATGAAGAATGG ATAG >Record 2 AGTCTAGTCAT CATCATAAGAT CATCAATCACA >Other Record 2 ATGAACAGCAG ATGAAGAATGG ATAG