If you're using quotes (or double quotes, or a bunch of other metachars) withing quotes (or doublequotes etc), you have to escape em. qq() allows you to use doublequotes within doublequotes (since qq() are actually doublequotes).

On windows if you want to use -e you HAVE to use doublequotes (unlike UN*X, where single quotes work too). If you want to use doublequotes within that line, escape them.
perl -e "$_=\"1_000\";$_++;print" If you'd wanna use a ) within the qq()'ed statement, you'd have to escape it too. Note that qq() works with a few other chars too, such as qq[], qq{}, qq// and even qq##. And yes, that ALSO works for q(), qr(), qx() and qr().

Greetz
Beatnik
... Quidquid perl dictum sit, altum viditur.