I'm using a dequoting function from the Perl Cookbook to make large, indented here-docs look nicer. Here's some code:

my $tempscript = dequote<<'    END';
    !!! some text
END

sub dequote {
    local $_ = shift;
    my ($white, $leader);
    if (/^\s*(?:([^\w\s]+)(\s*).*\n)(?:\s*\1\2?.*\n)+$/) {
        ($white, $leader) = ($2, quotemeta($1));
    } else {
        ($white, $leader) = (/^(\s+)/, '');
    }
    s/^\s*?$leader(?:$white)?//gm;
    return $_;
}
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This code results in a syntax error at the end of the here-doc. The problem is that Perl doesn't know about dequote yet. Making the dequote usage more explicit (&dequote, dequote()) doesn't help in this case. Two things work: putting the dequote function before its first usage, or using a prototype.

But then things get a little more complicated. In the real code, dequote is in a utility script, separate from where it's used. I'm exporting it and useing the utilities script before trying to call the function, but I still get the syntax error. The only thing that works is if I explicitly specify the package before each call to dequote. I'd rather not do this.

I don't have problems with any other functions in my utilities script. Do functions behave differently when used in here-docs?