Hi Perl Monks,
I have some faulty code: 
while ($line=<INFILE>) {
chomp $line;
if ($line=~/^COMPND[\s]{3}3/) {
$line=join(' ',split(' ',$line));
chop $line;
$chain=substr($line,length($line)-1,1);
$lastchain=$chain;
print OUTFILE ("$chain\n");
} else {
$lastchain='@';
}
}

[download]
What it tries to do is go through a file, find a pattern, store the pattern and perform a manipulation on it (ending up in $lastchain). However I want the loop to store $lastchain as '@' if the pattern is never found. The else statement is not working for me for obvious reasons, any suggestions O wise ones?
Yours in humility, anchorite.

In reply to otherwise condition by anchorite

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