use IO::All; # Some of the many ways to read a whole file into a scalar io('file.txt') > $contents; # Overloaded "arrow" $contents < io 'file.txt'; # Flipped but same operation $io = io 'file.txt'; # Create a new IO::All object String found where operator expected at C:/Perl/site/lib/IO/All.pm line 12, near "spiffy_constructor 'io'" (Do you need to predeclare spiffy_constructor?) syntax error at C:/Perl/site/lib/IO/All.pm line 12, near "spiffy_constructor 'io'" BEGIN not safe after errors--compilation aborted at C:/Perl/site/lib/IO/All.pm line 142. Compilation failed in require at parse_dir_output_02.pl line 5. BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at parse_dir_output_02.pl line 5. >Exit code: 255