foreach ( @directories ) # foreach of the time stamped directories { $directory_name = $_; # I need to take the directory name here # I need to process the directory name here to give me a time that the directory is labelled with my $date_time = ; # .... and to assign a value to $date_time my $now = ; Not sure how to get this value if ($date_time => $now ) # If the date has been passed { my $directory_to_move = $input_directory_CC."".$directory_name; return $directory_to_move; } }