You might want to look at File::Tail.

How could I capture from my logfile into a new file using this? I tried this but I think I need $name to be defined somewhere accidentally posted this twice..is the second call to file tail needed? I think they are just showing examples of usage..could I just open a new file where it reads and print to that new filehandle, open that file and do my process?

use File::Tail;
use win32::OLE qw(in);
  $file=File::Tail->new("E:\\mibor_timingtest\\mibor\\output.txt");
  while (defined($line=$file->read)) {
      print "$line";
  }

  use File::Tail;
  $file=File::Tail->new(name=>$name, maxinterval=>300, adjustafter=>7)
+;
  while (defined($line=$file->read)) {
      open(OUT ">>", "c:\\test.txt");
      print(OUT "$line");

  }

sub_do_something{
use win32::OLE qw(in);

$search="stuff2searchfor";

open(OUT, "c:\\test.txt");
my @array=<INFO>;
close (INFO);
foreach $line(@array){
if ($line =~ /$search/)
{
print "found $line";
sendmail_call_here..to send alert
}
[download]

From the documentation, it looks like you use File::Tail to open the file in the reading process and read a line at a time.

The module handles all of the housekeeping about the file being written to while you are reading it. There should be no reason for the writing process to change.

G. Wade