This is about the only way I ever use them - to get a function that does not need parens and behaves like an inbuilt

sub strip($);

my $str = '
   begone
   leading
   whitespace
';

print strip $str, "   ->this is extra stuff";

sub strip ($) {
    my $str = shift;
    $str =~ s/^\s+//gm;
  $str;
}
[download]

cheers

tachyon

s&&rsenoyhcatreve&&&s&n.+t&"$'$`$\"$\&"&ee&&y&srve&&d&&print