That's kind of funny - or weird, depending on your point of view. From do:

«If do can read the file but cannot compile it, it returns undef and sets an error message in $@. If do cannot read the file, it returns undef and sets $! to the error. Always check $@ first, as compilation could fail in a way that also sets $!. If the file is successfully compiled, do returns the value of the last expression evaluated.

Inclusion of library modules is better done with the use and require operators, which also do automatic error checking and raise an exception if there's a problem.»

From require:

«The file must return true as the last statement to indicate successful execution of any initialization code, so it's customary to end such a file with 1; unless you're sure it'll return true otherwise. But it's better just to put the 1;, in case you add more statements.»

And the inevitable sources:

sub require {
        my ($filename) = @_;
        if ( my $version = eval { version->parse($filename) } ) {
            if ( $version > $^V ) {
               my $vn = $version->normal;
               croak "Perl $vn required--this is only $^V, stopped";
            }
            return 1;
        }

        if (exists $INC{$filename}) {
            return 1 if $INC{$filename};
            croak "Compilation failed in require";
        }

        foreach $prefix (@INC) {
            if (ref($prefix)) {
                #... do other stuff - see text below ....
            }
            # (see text below about possible appending of .pmc
            # suffix to $filename)
            my $realfilename = "$prefix/$filename";
            next if ! -e $realfilename || -d _ || -b _;
            $INC{$filename} = $realfilename;
            my $result = do($realfilename);
                         # but run in caller's namespace

            if (!defined $result) {
                $INC{$filename} = undef;
                croak $@ ? "$@Compilation failed in require"
                         : "Can't locate $filename: $!\n";
            }
            if (!$result) {
                delete $INC{$filename};
                croak "$filename did not return true value";
            }
            $! = 0;
            return $result;
        }
        croak "Can't locate $filename in \@INC ...";
    }
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And I had to remind myself that do 'file.pl'; is almost the same as the notorious eval `cat file.pl`;

I'm not really sure if things are any clearer now. Maybe we also consider this modest contribution as a meditation.

Best regards, Karl