# I tried to print it as a new string, this still fails
	my $newOpMode = sprintf "%s", $self->setTheOpMode;
	
	print length($newOpMode) . " $newOpMode ---" . length ($self->setTheOpMode) . " " . $self->setTheOpMode."\n";

	$return = 1 if ( (lc( $newOpMode )) eq "mitigate" ); # panics here

##</code><code>##

8 mitigate ---8 mitigate
Use of uninitialized value in pattern match (m//) at /usr/share/perl/5.8/utf8_heavy.pl line 211.
Use of uninitialized value in scalar assignment at /usr/share/perl/5.8/utf8_heavy.pl line 227.
Use of uninitialized value in pattern match (m//) at /usr/share/perl/5.8/utf8_heavy.pl line 228.
Use of uninitialized value in scalar assignment at /usr/share/perl/5.8/utf8_heavy.pl line 288.
Use of uninitialized value in pattern match (m//) at /usr/share/perl/5.8/utf8_heavy.pl line 291.
Use of uninitialized value in scalar assignment at /usr/share/perl/5.8/utf8_heavy.pl line 346.
Use of uninitialized value in pattern match (m//) at /usr/share/perl/5.8/utf8_heavy.pl line 347.
panic: swash_fetch at /home/root/pambuoy/smruPb-swup-v10.21/pgmon/../modules/rtdcStateLogic/rtdcSystemController.pm line 112.