##### start of app.pl ##### 
#!/usr/bin/perl
my $settings_file = "./settings.pl"; 
use strict;
our %default_settings;
require $settings_file;

# ERROR IS IN THE NEXT LINE: %settings is empty (because %default_settings is empty)
my %settings = %default_settings;
##### end of app.pl ##### 

##</code><code>##

##### start of settings.pl ##### 
%default_settings = (
	$verbose => 1,
	$debug => 0,
	$help => 0,
	$game => "etqw"
);
##### end of settings.pl ##### 

##</code><code>##

##### start example #####
spirit@threat:~/develop/example$ cat hello.cpp

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include "var.cpp"
int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
  printf("Hello world!\n");
  printf("I'm %i years old!\n", var);
  return 1;
}

spirit@threat:~/develop/example$ cat var.cpp

int var = 3;

spirit@threat:~/develop/example$ g++ hello.cpp
spirit@threat:~/develop/example$ ./a.out
Hello world!
I'm 3 years old!
##### end example #####