c:\@Work\Perl\monks>perl -wMstrict -le "my $number = 42; print '$number before independent scope == ', $number; ;; { my $number = 8; print '$number in independent scope == ', $number++ for 1 .. 5; } ;; print '$number after independent scope == ', $number; " $number before independent scope == 42 $number in independent scope == 8 $number in independent scope == 9 $number in independent scope == 10 $number in independent scope == 11 $number in independent scope == 12 $number after independent scope == 42