This is so true. When i first started writing perl I used to always reinvent the wheel when I wrote scripts. Now when I get a new project my process is this.
- Get requirements
- Design program
- Check CPAN for features i don't have modules for yet
- Write Code
- Test & Debug
My job has become quicker and my code has gotten better from the CPAN step. Personally I think that CPAN exisits is one of the best things about using Perl.