use strict; # good use warnings; # good use Net::Whois::IP qw(whoisip_query); # I can't test as I don't have the Net::Whois::IP # module installed use Data::Dumper; # Here is a module you invoke but from which you don't # call anything, at least in this example. &whois(); # why do you call this with no params # and use lexicals form the $main:: # package within it? This is not # directly related to your problem, but # is bad form. You also call it in void # context even though you make it return # values... my ($ip, $email, $techname); # The above call returns things that are not # declared until here. Think about what my() will # do to these variables at this point in the program. print "$ip\'s name is $techname and email address is $email\n"; # There's a concatenation done here. Is this # the line that complains? Why would these variables # not be initialized? sub whois{ $ip = '149.1.1.1'; my ($response,$array_of_responses) = whoisip_query($ip); $email = $response->{TechEmail}; $techname = $response->{TechName}; return ($email, $techname); # Here you return something # which your main program # is throwing away because # the sub is called in # void context. ####!!! There should be a closing curly for this sub!!! #### use strict; use warnings; use Net::Whois::IP qw(whoisip_query); use Data::Dumper; my ($ip, $email, $techname); $ip = '149.1.1.1'; ( $email, $techname ) = whois($ip); print "$ip\'s name is $techname and email address is $email\n"; sub whois { my $addr = shift; my ($response,$trash) = whoisip_query($addr); $email = $response->{TechEmail}; $techname = $response->{TechName}; return ($email, $techname); }