my ($content, $IN);
unless (open ($IN, "<", $file)) {
  die "Error in reading '$file': $!\n";
} # unless
else {
  local $/ = undef; # valid only until end of block
  binmode($IN);
  $content = <$IN>;
  close ($IN);
} # else

##</code><code>##

unless (open ($IN, "<", "file1.txt")) {
  die "Error in reading 'file1.txt': $!\n";
} # unless