use File::Tail;
use win32::OLE qw(in);
  $file=File::Tail->new("E:\\mibor_timingtest\\mibor\\output.txt");
  while (defined($line=$file->read)) {
      print "$line";
  }

  use File::Tail;
  $file=File::Tail->new(name=>$name, maxinterval=>300, adjustafter=>7)
+;
  while (defined($line=$file->read)) {
      open(OUT ">>", "c:\\test.txt");
      print(OUT "$line");

  }

sub_do_something{
use win32::OLE qw(in);

$search="stuff2searchfor";

open(OUT, "c:\\test.txt");
my @array=<INFO>;
close (INFO);
foreach $line(@array){
if ($line =~ /$search/)
{
print "found $line";
sendmail_call_here..to send alert
}
[download]

From the documentation, it looks like you use File::Tail to open the file in the reading process and read a line at a time.

The module handles all of the housekeeping about the file being written to while you are reading it. There should be no reason for the writing process to change.

G. Wade

I am looking to perform some processing based on the data being written to the file, so I was thinking I would periodically open a logfile write to it, test for a condition close it, etc. does this make any sense? my goal is to be informed should errors occur with running loadrunner tests, so that if a change takes place on the server and my script starts failing I am notified, as well as having notifications sent should requests take longer than expected on the server.