my %maids_hash{}; opendir (my $dhs, $seqdir); opendir (my $dhk, $komp_dir); while(defined($seqfile = readdir($dhs))) { foreach my $maids_dir(@komp){ my @maid_id = split(/_/, $komp_dir); my $maid = $fields[0]; #$maid =~ /(^\d*)/; my $count = ${maid} ; if ($count == null){ ${maid}=1; }else{ ${maid}=$count+1; } $maids_hash{$maids_dir} = $maid; } foreach my $maid ( keys %maids_hash ){ if ($maids_hash{$maid}==4){ #call routine to do your copy logic } }