I'd write that initialization as: 

defined($value_a) or $value_a = '';

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The ||= op will convert zero to an empty string, which may provide surprises. There is the shiny new //= (I think it is) op to do that, but in the interest of portability I wouldn't use it yet.

After Compline,
Zaxo

In reply to Re^2: Uninitialized Value Question by Zaxo
in thread Uninitialized Value Question by Anonymous Monk

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