in reply to Perl Style: About error messges opening files

Although this isn't completely on point, I tend to put single-quotes around every variable in a print/warn/die statement. So, my version of your line would be:
open my $fh,"<",$file or die "< $!:'$file'";

That way, I can determine if it's zero, one, or two spaces in my filename. Or, if there are postpended spaces. (Once bitten, twice shy, I guess.)

------
We are the carpenters and bricklayers of the Information Age.

Then there are Damian modules.... *sigh* ... that's not about being less-lazy -- that's about being on some really good drugs -- you know, there is no spoon. - flyingmoose