You got a good answer from roboticus but there is more to think about. If you take the first line of problem output-

Backslash found where operator expected at hello.pl line 1, near "rtf1\"

and put it through google: rtf1 you'll get this kind of thing back: RTF - Rich Text Format (tutorial). Which is an oblique answer: the file is not in plain format and raw code (generally) must be.

There are *many* hurdles to teaching yourself to program. You just stumbled over one of the first. The thing that sometimes takes much too long to learn is that there are just as many tools and helpers as there are obstacles. If you foster developing investigation skills from the beginning, you'll be on easy street a year or two ahead of what most of us self-taught code monkeys paid. :)

In reply to Re: Unsure why this isn't working? by Your Mother
in thread Unsure why this isn't working? by Anonymous Monk

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