in reply to check to see if a file has todays data in it, if it has exit if not then add data

Disregarding a few other errors in that script (like, why did you comment out use warnings;?), I would suspect that the date format in your input file probably isn't as consistent as you think it is. Have you made a run where all you do is print the value of $Date to verify it will always match what you think it does?

On a tangent, if you have control over the files, I suggest you use a more standard date format, such as YYYY-MM-DD, that is easily produced and parsed. You'll save yourself time and headaches down the road.

It helps to remember that the primary goal is to drain the swamp even when you are hip-deep in alligators.

In Section Seekers of Perl Wisdom