split(/.{80}/, $data)

Actually, that would store one empty field, throw out the first 80 characters of $data as the first delimiter, store a second empty field, throw away the next 80 characters of $data as the second delimiter, store a third empty field, etc. Finally it would return int(length($data)/80) empty fields followed by the last length($data)%80 characters of $data. Not very useful.

If you update it to: grep(defined, split(/(.{80})/, $data)) then it would at least return the "delimiters" (which are really the data you want). But empty fields are "" not undef so the grep above is pointless.

So change that first line to: my @lines = grep(length, split(/(.{80})/, $data)); and you should be close.

        - tye (but my friends call me "Tye")