Reading in a file into an array is a pretty basic thing to do in Perl. In fact, if you don't know this standard idiom, you shouldn't be programming - you should be studying. So, if my solution causes the seeker to fetch the manuals ago, all the better. If he doesn't and all he wants is something delivered on a silver platter, then I don't want to spend more than one line in giving an answer - and I didn't while my answer was correct and not inefficient.

And besides, it's an idiom I sometimes use myself. It's faster to code than the open/read/close lines.

Abigail