Further, the languages are so different that it isn't just "idiomatic code" that changes, but also "idiomatic design" - an appropriate design for a Perl implementation probably won't be an appropriate design for a Java implementation.

If you need Java code to perform similar functionality, put your Perl code to one side and start again. The knowledge gained when writing the Perl version will help you in some respects; the prejudices gained while writing the Perl version will hinder you in other respects.

Learning to spot these helps and hindrances, and to grasp or avoid them - to approach the same problem from a genuinely fresh standpoint without throwing away everything you know - is a skill worth acquiring for any programmer.

Hugo