sub say {
    local $\ = "\n";
    print @_ ? @_ : $_;
}
[download]

And, uh... there's also Perl6::Say

I like bart's (edited to correct name) solution except you may want to add a prototype so you can call the sub without parentheses around the arguments.

#!/usr/bin/perl

use strict;
use warnings;
use 5.008;

sub say (@){
    local $\ = "\n";
    print @_ ? @_ : $_;
}

say 'Hey';
[download]

>>>Update>>>: On further testing, I guess you don't need a prototype. The trick is to define the sub above the statement where you call it. The following works just as well for me:

#!/usr/bin/perl

use strict;
use warnings;
use 5.008;

sub say{
    local $\ = "\n";
    print @_ ? @_ : $_;
}

say 'Hey';
[download]

You don't need a prototype for that. All you need to do is to define the sub before you call it — or put it in a module that you use. Same thing.

Sweet! Thanks, all done now :)

And it won't work for a say without arguments when a lexical $_ is in effect. But your say will work in 99.5% of the cases.

Since lexical $_ was new in Perl 5.10, I don't think there is a problem with that.

I am porting some perl v5.10 to v5.8...

Can you use App::perlbrew to stick with a Perl 5 that has support?

If not, feel free to tell your client/boss that you're taking on unnecessary risk by mandating the use of an obsolete and abandoned product.

Thank you for that, very handy, unfortunately the project is for a large web host company, and the admins are just reluctant to upgrade, whatever the reason may be...