showing an image downloaded with LWP::Simple

Anonymous Monk has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

Does anyone know why the following code is not working:

use LWP::Simple;
print $content = get("http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/storm_graphics/AT06/refr
+esh/AL0606W5+gif/144631W_sm.gif");
[download]

The code is supposed to show a graphic image, instead I see nothing but garbled numbers and letters. I would use the module Image::Grab, but the internet server I am using does not have that module.

Edit: g0n - code tags

2006-09-08 Retitled by Corion, as per Monastery guidelines
Original title: 'LWP'

Comment on showing an image downloaded with LWP::Simple Download Code

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Re: showing an image downloaded with LWP::Simple by Joost (Canon) on Sep 08, 2006 at 18:15 UTC
It doesn't work for the same reason "cat image.gif" doesn't work: you can't just print a binary file format to the terminal and expect it to show an image. Just send the file data to some program that will display the graphics, for instance, if you have image-magick's `display` program installed: `use LWP::Simple; open CMD,"\|display -" or die "Can't fork display program: $!"; print CMD get("http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/storm_graphics/AT06/refresh/AL0 +606W5+gif/144631W_sm.gif"); close CMD;` [download] "What should it profit a man, if he should win a flame war, yet lose his cool?"	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^2: showing an image downloaded with LWP::Simple by Anonymous Monk on Sep 08, 2006 at 18:32 UTC
How come Internet Explorer cannot view the image? Thanks for your help.	[reply]
Re^3: showing an image downloaded with LWP::Simple by Joost (Canon) on Sep 08, 2006 at 18:35 UTC
Because you're either not using binmode to write it to a file, running the code as a CGI and you don't set the correct headers (hint: you're not setting any) and/or not calling internet explorer correctly. You really should show the EXACT code you're using. "What should it profit a man, if he should win a flame war, yet lose his cool?"	[reply]
Re^4: showing an image downloaded with LWP::Simple by Anonymous Monk on Sep 08, 2006 at 18:45 UTC
Re^5: showing an image downloaded with LWP::Simple by Joost (Canon) on Sep 08, 2006 at 18:52 UTC
Some notes below your chosen depth have not been shown here
Re^5: showing an image downloaded with LWP::Simple by RobPayne (Chaplain) on Sep 09, 2006 at 14:33 UTC
Re: showing an image downloaded with LWP::Simple by Fletch (Bishop) on Sep 08, 2006 at 17:59 UTC
Erm . . . /boggle You've retrieved the contents of a GIF file. You print the contents of that GIF file to your terminal / command window / xterm. You see the raw contents of the file. Wherein is the problem (aside from your presumption that Perl would magically display the contents of image files as images when you print them out)?	[reply]
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