Scalar value @start_date_array[0] better written as $start_date_array[
+0] at a.pl line 12.
Scalar value @today_date_array[0] better written as $today_date_array[
+0] at a.pl line 12.
Scalar value @start_date_array[1] better written as $start_date_array[
+1] at a.pl line 12.
Scalar value @today_date_array[1] better written as $today_date_array[
+1] at a.pl line 12.
Scalar value @start_date_array[2] better written as $start_date_array[
+2] at a.pl line 12.
Scalar value @today_date_array[2] better written as $today_date_array[
+2] at a.pl line 12.
Scalar value @end_date_array[0] better written as $end_date_array[0] a
+t a.pl line 14.
Scalar value @today_date_array[0] better written as $today_date_array[
+0] at a.pl line 14.
Scalar value @end_date_array[1] better written as $end_date_array[1] a
+t a.pl line 14.
Scalar value @today_date_array[1] better written as $today_date_array[
+1] at a.pl line 14.
Scalar value @end_date_array[2] better written as $end_date_array[2] a
+t a.pl line 14.
Scalar value @today_date_array[2] better written as $today_date_array[
+2] at a.pl line 14.
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Mind you, that warning doesn't indicate a real problem here (it points out a bad style/habit that can have an effect in uncommon circumstances), but who knows what other warnings are being issued. Add use warnings; if it's not already there.

Sounds like the dates are in the yyyy/mm/dd format, so why not just compare the strings with lt/gt?

sub validate_date {
   my ($start_date, $end_date, $today) = @_;
   return "Invalid format for start date (expecting yyyy/mm/dd)"
      if $start_date !~ m{^\d{4}/\d{2}/\d{2}\z};
   return "Invalid format for end date (expecting yyyy/mm/dd)"
      if $end_date !~ m{^\d{4}/\d{2}/\d{2}\z};
   return "End date must be no later than today"
      if $end_date gt $today;
   return "Start date must be no later than end date"
      if $start_date gt $end_date;
   return "";
}
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Thanks, Ikegami. I will use the string comparison. Do you know if I need to get rid of the / in the date? I can give it a try. Regards, Rakhee

"/" equals "/", so no need to remove them. gt performs a string comparison, not a numerical one.

use strict and warnings. I get warning messages when I compile your code:

perl -wc -Mdiagnostics 830638.pl
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Also, consider using one of the many CPAN Date modules. Date::Calc has a "How do I compare two dates?" recipe.

A date in the future can have the same month and year as today. Tomorrow is a good example (assuming today is not the last day of the month or year).

assuming today is not the last day of the month or year

He doesn't handle that either, mind you.

Thanks for replying Anonymous Monk. Yes, my data is right. I printed it out. Also, if I use if condition without the &&, it works. I am totally confused. Here is what worked:

sub validate_date {

        my $start_date = $_[0];
        my $end_date = $_[1];
        my $today_date = $_[2];
        my @start_date_array = split(/\//, $start_date);
        my @end_date_array = split(/\//, $end_date);
        my @today_date_array = split(/\//, $today_date);
        my $error_msg = "";
        if (!$start_date || !$end_date){
        $error_msg = "Blank Field in Date field. Please Use Browser Ba
+ck button and Enter Date Field"};
#       if ( (@start_date_array[0] > @today_date_array[0]) && (@start_
+date_array[1] > @today_date_array[1]) && (@start_date_array[2] > @tod
+ay_date_array[2])) {
        if  (@start_date_array[0] > @today_date_array[0]) {
        $error_msg = "Start Date can not be a Future Date. Please Use 
+Browser Back button and Enter Start Date"};
        if ( (@end_date_array[0] > @today_date_array[0]) && (@end_date
+_array[1] > @today_date_array[1]) && (@end_date_array[2] > @today_dat
+e_array[2])) {
        $error_msg = "End Date can not be a Future Date. Please Use Br
+owser Back button and Enter End Date"};
        return $error_msg;

}
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The request was not if your data is properly formatted. The request was to show us examples, so we know what to feed into the subroutine to test it. How are your dates formatted? Is it month/day/year, day/month/year, year/month/day? Is January represented by "1" or "01"? This information is very significant for showing you how your code is incorrect.