++ Well picked up on the or thing. I really should have added an "untested" rider to that code. It was purely an editor exercise and completely untested. I should have spotted the error, but I tend to use or rather than || as a matter of course and let the compiler inform me when I need to change it. Hey, that's what compilers are good at :)

With respect to the non-localisation of $_ in while loops. Your right to point it out. It's one of those things that I take on a case by case basis, but it is so useful, that I wouldn't want to never use it.

Does anyone know if there is a good reason why $_ isn't localised in while loops as it is in for loops?