comment on

I'm not sure why you get different results, but I'm pretty sure using Perl IO via open is better suited than buffering stuff from qx

Anyway from the docs

In scalar context, it comes back as a single (potentially multi-line) string, or undef if the shell (or command) could not be started. In list context, returns a list of lines (however you've defined lines with $ or $INPUT_RECORD_SEPARATOR), or an empty list if the shell (or command) could not be started./

So your list context might lead to splitting into smaller parts ("lines")

Cheers Rolf
_{(addicted to the Perl Programming Language :)

see Wikisyntax for the Monastery}

In reply to Re: $x = `cat big_file` seg faults by LanX
in thread $x = `cat big_file` seg faults by Danny

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