In system calls, it's helpful to use the list form of argument. That calls the system program directly, without giving the shell a chance to reinterpret your other arguments:

system '/bin/touch', q(/unhelpfully/named/AM's File);
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After Compline,
Zaxo

Best wishes,
I.R.Baboon.

Actually quotemeta will quote all non alphanumeric characters which is rather more than the original querient was after :)

I would suggest some variant of:     s#\'#\\\'#g;

--
my $chainsaw = 'Perl';

$string =~ s/([^\])\'/$1\\\'/g;
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For a different variation on the same theme, try

$string =~ s/(?<!\\)'/\\'/g;
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Though this raises the question "what if the string contains a backslash followed by a single quote?" Which makes the regex slightly more complicated, and leads back to he conclusion that quotemeta might not be such a bad idea, after all...

Update: while I'm writing silly regexes...

$string =~ s/(?<!\\)(?=')/\\/g;
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<duck>




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If God had meant us to fly, he would *never* have given us the railroads.
    --Michael Flanders