Can't use an undefined value as a symbol reference at new.pl line 66, 
+<DATA> line 4.


#!/usr/bin/perl
use strict;
use warnings;

my $tag;
my $output;
my $fh;
my $flag ='';
my $output_text;
my $i=0;
my $file='';
while (<DATA>) {
s/.*?\{IT\}/{IT}/g;
s/{IT}R/{IT}\nR/g;
    chomp;
    s/[\cA-\cZ]//g;
    s/\^[A-Z]//g;

        if(/^{(.*)}$/)     # match {METATAG} line
                {
                $fh = xml_output($output, $tag, $fh,$i);
                $output = "";
                $tag = $1;
print "The tag is---->$tag\n\n";
                }
                 else
                {            # not a {TAG} line
                next unless($tag);
                next if(/^\s*$/);

                $output .= ($output) ? " $_" : "<$tag>$_";
                }
#
if($output =~ m/<IT>(.*)/){
$i++;
                }

        } # End of While Loop
$fh = xml_output($output, $tag, $fh,$i);


if($fh) {
    print $fh "</ROOT>\n";
    close($fh);
}
exit(0);
# Subroutine to open the file with the filename as {TAG}

sub xml_output {
    my ($output, $tag, $fh,$i) = @_;

    if($output) {
        #print "The file name inside $file\n";
        if($output =~ m/<IT>/) {
            if($fh) {
                print $fh "</ROOT>\n";
                close($fh);
            }
            open($fh, '>', "$i.xml") or die "$1.xml: $!";
            print $fh "<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\"?>\n<RO
+OT>\n";
        }

               $output =~ s/\s*(?=(<.+>|<.+\/>|<\/.+>|<\/.+><.+>))//g;
              print $fh "$output</$tag>\n";
             }
    return($fh);
  } # End of sub sroutine


__DATA__
020200001117VUTVS01 00000745B3^V^V^A2^C^D^V^V^A 0000 0001 090104 N S00
+00000000 00001889^B{IT}R
{DATE}
090104
{TDATE}
Sunday, January 4, 2009
{SECTION}
H5
{HEADLINE}
LEGISLATORS  VISIT SENIOR APARTMENT COMPLEX
{BODY}
2005 with state and federal funding. <
{IT}
R
{DATE}
050102
{TDATE}
Sunday, January 02, 2005
{EDITION}
6
{TAG}
0412270403
{BODY}
Certified Financial Planner for DiStefano Finacial  Group in Westfield
+,
MA.
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Can't use an undefined value as a symbol reference at new.pl line 66, <DATA> line 4.
I am getting an error.
I have added the code to delete strings before {IT}.
But still it gives out error message.