I think the normal way to do this is by making the script die if the file that the filehandle is... er... attached to (I have no clue what the proper word is either, but I know what you mean) isn't there. So 
open (FILEHANDLE, "$file") or die "couldn't open $file";

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Certainly, that's what everyone tells me to do when I don't do it :)

§ George Sherston

In reply to Re: How to verify a file handle? by George_Sherston
in thread How to verify a file handle? by Anonymous Monk

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