You forgot pack:

$string = 'abcd' ;
$padded = pack('A40',$string) ;
print "[$padded]\n" ;
[download]

prints [abcd                                  ]

;-)

Ciao!
--bronto

# Another Perl edition of a song:
# The End, by The Beatles
END {
  $you->take($love) eq $you->made($love) ;
}