$string =~ s/^\s+//;
$string =~ s/\s+$//;

##</code><code>##

@fi = split(/\s+/, $nextline);

##</code><code>##

while(@fi[0] eq'')
{
     $nextline = readline<IN>;
     //remove whitespace
     //split the line, but I think I included my accidentally so that I had

     my @fi = split.....
}