local $/;
    print "@{[ <DATA> ]}\n";
[download]

Sure, you CAN do that.

• Creates an array
• Fetches the file contents
• Puts that in the new array, as one element
• Copies the array element
• Throws the array away
• Adds \n
• Passes a large string to print

And it's a lot of work. print while <DATA>; or something similar is usually a MUCH better idea.

Rule of thumb: do not use the idioms explained in the root of this thread, unless you really have to interpolate (like in regexes, although (??{}) may be a better idea). Especially the array creating one.

Juerd # { site => 'juerd.nl', plp_site => 'plp.juerd.nl', do_not_use => 'spamtrap' }