<snipped the _TOP>

format STDOUT =
@<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
+<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<  @<<<<<<< @<<<<<<<      @<<<<<<<<<<<<<
<<<<<<<<<<  @||||||||||||||||||| @##.##
$sfile,                                                               
+                                $user,   $grp,        $gcos,
           dateme($mod,$mod2), $sz
~~
.
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with this code

my $format  = "format STDOUT = \n"
         . '@' . '<' x 125 . $sfile             . q{  }
         . '@' . '<' x 8   . $user              . q{  }
         . '@' . '<' x 8   . $grp               . q{  }
         . '@' . '<' x 25  . $gcos              . q{  }
         . '@' . '|' x 20  . dateme($mod,$mod2) . q{  }
         . '@' . '#' x 2 . '.##' . $sz . "\n"
         . "~~\n"
         . ".\n" ;
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And the errors I am getting are:

Use of uninitialized value in concatenation (.) or string at find_hog.
+tdy line 49.
Use of uninitialized value in concatenation (.) or string at find_hog.
+tdy line 49.
Use of uninitialized value in concatenation (.) or string at find_hog.
+tdy line 49.
Use of uninitialized value in concatenation (.) or string at find_hog.
+tdy line 49.
Use of uninitialized value in localtime at find_hog.tdy line 105.
Use of uninitialized value in concatenation (.) or string at find_hog.
+tdy line 49.

format STDOUT =
@<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
+<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<  @<<<<<<<<  
+@<<<<<<<<  @<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<  @||||||||||||||||||||19:00:00-
+12/31/69  @##.##
~~
.
Undefined format "STDOUT" called at find_hog.tdy line 227.
[download]

Do I use a regular write? I am confused on how write knows about $format?

I am trying what you suggested (and thank you!) but its not working.

Huh? I didn't suggest that - I wrote about an editor (vi) command. But since you are bringing that up - re-read perlform, the chapter "Accessing Formatting Internals".

If you construct your format into a string, you have to either eval it -

my $format = '| @' . '>' x 10 . ' | ' . '@' . '<' x 10 . " |\n"
           . '$given, $surname' ."\n"
           . '.';

eval "format STDOUT = \n$format";

for ([qw(Bill Bruford)],[qw(Ginger Baker)]) {
    ($given, $surname) = @$_;
    write;
}
__END__
|        Bill | Bruford     |
|      Ginger | Baker       |
[download]

or use formline and the accumulator $^A :

my $format = '| @' . '>' x 10 . ' | ' . '@' . '<' x 10 . " |\n";

for ([qw(Bill Bruford)],[qw(Ginger Baker)]) {
    formline( $format,@$_);
    print $^A;
    $^A = '';
}
__END__
|        Bill | Bruford     |
|      Ginger | Baker       |
[download]

--shmem

_($_=" "x(1<<5)."?\n".q·/)Oo.  G°\        /
                              /\_¯/(q    /
----------------------------  \__(m.====·.(_("always off the crowd"))."·
");sub _{s./.($e="'Itrs `mnsgdq Gdbj O`qkdq")=~y/"-y/#-z/;$e.e && print}

OK thank you much! I understand. So now I am asking

1) Not sure why I am seeing 'Filename' and 'Owner' when print $^A is invoked. Can you see why?

2) Is there a better way to line up my headings with the data then what I am doing? For example, q{ } x ##

__OUTPUT__
REPORT OF .... on host:
sparky
Filename

PageOwner
0
<snip>
__END_OUTPUT__

    my $fn     = q<Filename> ;
    my $owr    = q<Owner> ;
    my $go     = q<GroupOwner> ;
    my $gc     = q<Gecos> ;
    my $lmd    = q<LastModifiedDate> ;
    my $smb    = q<Size Mb> ;

    my $format_TOP =
        'REPORT OF LARGE FILES on:'      . "\n"
        . qx(hostname) . '@' . '<' x 12  . "\n\n\n"
        . 'Page' . '@' . '<'  x 4        . "\n"
        . $%                             . "\n"
        . $fn       . q{ } x 10
        . $owr      . q{ } x 6
        . $go       . q{ } x 1
        . $gc       . q{ } x 25
        . $lmd      . q{ } x 6
        . $smb      . "\n"
        . '=' x 8   . q{ } x 10
        . '=' x 5   . q{ } x 6
        . '=' x 10  . q{ } x 1
        . '=' x 5   . q{ } x 25
        . '=' x 16  . q{ } x 6
        . '=' x 7   . "\n" ;

formline( $format_TOP, $fn, $owr, $go, $gc, $lmd, $smb ) ;
print $^A ;
$^A = q{};
<snip>
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