Your question was answered above. However, I would highly recommend you make the following changes to your code and coding processes:

1. Buy the Llama book, aka Learning Perl by Randal Schwartz.
2. Add use strict; to the top of every perl script you write.
3. When you do that, you'll have to my every variable you use.
4. Add use warnings; right below the use strict line.
5. You'll be inundated with stuff. Take the time to figure them out.
6. One of those warnings will be "Scalar value @x[0] better written as $x[0]". Heed that warning. @x[0] is not a scalar value, but an array slice. You would use it if you wanted the first, third, and ninth values of an array. (@x[0,2,8])

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We are the carpenters and bricklayers of the Information Age.

The idea is a little like C++ templates, except not quite so brain-meltingly complicated. -- TheDamian, Exegesis 6

Please remember that I'm crufty and crochety. All opinions are purely mine and all code is untested, unless otherwise specified.