Helpful use: in this example i wanted to open an in-memory file so i could make use of Perl's: format & write operations. This will print a formatted line into a "in mem" file and return it as a scalar string to the calling function. It was a easy way of making a formatted (aligned) toString() for my class. Enjoy.

sub toString
    {
       my $self = shift;
       my $thishash = $self->{_listofkeys};
       my $memfile;
       open (FORMATTED_OUT, '>',\$memfile) || warn "unable to open mem
+ory file!";

format FORMATTED_OUT =
        IMEI              BrandName            Model             OS   
+               Registered To
        ==============================================================
+============================================
        @<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< @<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< @<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< @<<<<
+<<<<<<<<<<<<<< @<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
        $thishash->{IMEI}, $thishash->{PhoneBrandName}, $thishash->{Ph
+oneModel}, $thishash->{PhoneOS}, $thishash->{RegisteredTo}
.

    write FORMATTED_OUT ;
    close (FORMATTED_OUT);
    return  $memfile;
    }
[download]