In addition to the hash-based solutions offered, there's also 

my @file = qw( tom bob joe );

[download]
so instead of referring to, e.g., $file1, you'd refer to $file[0]. You can change the values of these variables programmatically, by maniplulating the integers corresponding to the array indices. This node has some interesting thoughts on the perennial desire to manipulate variable names programmatically.

the lowliest monk

In reply to Re: storing variable names in an array by tlm
in thread storing variable names in an array by scifiaddict

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