printf NFILE "$item\n";
should be
printf NFILE "%s\n", $item;
or
print NFILE "$item\n";

The "f" in "printf" stands for "format" (not "file"), and you didn't provide one.

Ref: print, printf

In reply to Re: Escaping special chars to add in a file by ikegami
in thread Escaping special chars to add in a file by Anonymous Monk

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