Scalar::Util has dualvar which returns a scalar with both a numeric value and a string value.

In theory, could do:

# untested

sub alsoslick()
{
    if do-stuff
    {
      return dualvar 1, "SomeValue"; # or just a non-0 numeric value
    }
    else
    {
      return dualvar 0, "Some error message";
    }
}

my $result = alsoslick;
if 0+$result
{
    process( '' . $result ); # or just $result if non-error result is 
+numeric
}
else
{
    log-error( '' . $result );
}

[download]

(Not as clean as Perl6.)

In reply to Re: [Perl 6]: Small discoveries V, True / False / FileNotFound by RonW
in thread [Perl 6]: Small discoveries V, True / False / FileNotFound by holli

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