C:\strawberry\perl\bin>perl not.txt Precedence problem: open not should be open(not) at not.txt line 1. String found where operator expected at not.txt line 2, near "print FILEHANDLE " " (Might be a runaway multi-line "" string starting on line 1) (Missing semicolon on previous line?) Bareword found where operator expected at not.txt line 2, near "print FILEHANDLE "hello" (Do you need to predeclare print?) syntax error at not.txt line 1, near "not." Can't find string terminator '"' anywhere before EOF at not.txt line 2.