open FILE, $filename || "$!";
Shouldn't that be: 
open FILE, $filename or die $!;

[download]
Or do you actually have a valid file name stored in $!?

It looks like you want to count the semicolons: 

while ( <FILE> )
{
    $ct += tr/;//;
}
print $ct;

[download]

In reply to Re: Count of split data by jwkrahn
in thread Count of split data by Anonymous Monk

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