Thanks for all the feedback provided, I have made several changes that were recommended. Pl review.
liverpole: I am surprised that it would not compile for you, I did test it before posting it.
Thanks again to everyone, for your time:

#!/usr/local/bin/perl -w
use strict;
#
# http://www.dwoptimize.com/2007/05/data-type-validation-using-regular
+.html
# jag.singh@dwoptimize.com
# Version 0.2 
#   feedback incorporated from http://www.perlmonks.org/?node_id=61769
+2
#
my $syntax = ">
> Syntax: $0 <spec_file> <data_in_file> <data_out_file> <log_file> <ma
+x_errors>
>
> This program:
>
> 1. Reads specification file that defines the data file layout:
> 1.1. attribute name
> 1.2. attribute data type using regular expressions 
>      (http://www.perl.com/pub/a/2000/11/begperl3.html)
> 1.3. default data value 
>
> 2. Validates input data file for data type
>
> 3. Creates output data file, with bad attribute data values that do 
+not match
>    specifiction replaced by the default values
>
> 4. Creates a log file describing data validation errors
>
> 5. Aborts data validation process, if total number of errors reach m
+ax_errors
>
> Terminating... ";
#
my ($spec_file, $data_in_file, $data_out_file, $log_file, $max_errors)
+ = @ARGV;
die $syntax, "not all the required command line parameters are provide
+d" 
  unless defined $max_errors;
open (log_file, ">", $log_file) or die $syntax, 
  "cannot open ", $log_file, ". ", $!;
open (spec_file, $spec_file) or die $syntax, 
  "cannot open ", $spec_file, ". ", $!;
open (data_in_file, $data_in_file) or die $syntax, 
  "cannot open ", $data_in_file, ". ", $!;
open (data_out_file, ">", $data_out_file) or die $syntax, 
  "cannot open ", $data_out_file, ". ", $!;
print log_file "Spec File> ", $spec_file, "\n", 
  "Data In File> ", $data_in_file, "\n", 
  "Data Out File> ", $data_out_file, "\n", 
  "Log File> ", $log_file, "\n", 
  "Max errors: ", $max_errors, "\n";
#
my $spec_line; my @spec_one_attribute; my @spec_all_attributes; 
foreach $spec_line (<spec_file>) { 
  # Read full data file specification into memory structure from the s
+pec file
  # which will be used for "lookup" during data validation later
  chomp ($spec_line); # remove newline
  @spec_one_attribute = split(/\,/, $spec_line); 
    # the spec file is ',' delimited
    # @spec_one_attribute contains: attribute name, 
    # attribute data type (regular expression), and default value
  push (@spec_all_attributes, [@spec_one_attribute]); 
    # @spec_all_attributes contain the full data file specification
}
#
my $data_in_line; my @data_in_attributes; my $line_number = 1; 
my $total_errors = 0;
DATALINE: foreach $data_in_line (<data_in_file>) { 
  # read data file, line by line
  chomp ($data_in_line); # remove newline
  @data_in_attributes = split (/\|/, $data_in_line); 
    # the data file is '|' delimited
  if ($#data_in_attributes != $#spec_all_attributes) { 
    # number of attributes on the data line do not match with the spec
+ification
    $total_errors++;
    print log_file "Error ", $total_errors, ". On the data line: ", 
      $line_number, ", # attributes: ", $#data_in_attributes + 1, 
      ", do not match # attributes in the file specification: ", 
      $#spec_all_attributes + 1, "\n";
    last DATALINE if ($total_errors >= $max_errors); 
    next; # skip data attribute type validation
  }      
  my $attribute; my $attribute_position = 0; my @data_out_attributes =
+ ();
  foreach $attribute (@data_in_attributes) {
    if ($attribute =~ m/$spec_all_attributes[$attribute_position][1]/)
+ { 
      # validate data attribute type by performing 
      # lookup for the regular expression from the spec memory structu
+re
      push (@data_out_attributes, $attribute); 
        # Correct data type, the output value is same as input value
    } else {
      push (@data_out_attributes, $spec_all_attributes[$attribute_posi
+tion][2]); 
        # Bad data type, use default provided in the spec for output v
+alue
      $total_errors++;
      print log_file "Error ", $total_errors, 
        ". Data type error on line: ", $line_number, ", 
        attribute: ", $attribute_position + 1, 
        " (", $spec_all_attributes[$attribute_position][0], ")\n";
    }
    last DATALINE if ($total_errors >= $max_errors); 
    $attribute_position++;
  }
  print data_out_file join ("|", @data_out_attributes), "\n"; 
    # the data out file is '|' delimited
} continue { 
  # update line number counter even if the data attribute type 
  # validation is skipped
  $line_number++;
}
#
if ($total_errors >= $max_errors) {
  print log_file "Max error count reached: ", $total_errors, ", proces
+s terminated\n";
} else {
  print log_file "Process completed with: ", $total_errors, " errors\n
+";
}
# End
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