You can use Symbol::gensym on such old perls to get lexical filehandles (more awkward, but gets you the same benefits), and you could write a conditionally installed wrapper to emulate three-arg open (only awkward once, but only worthwhile when you can foresee value in making the code easily forward-upgradable). Whether the effort is justified will depend on your particular circumstances, of course (but see also my signature).

Makeshifts last the longest.

In reply to Re^6: I know what I mean. Why don't you? by Aristotle
in thread I know what I mean. Why don't you? by GrandFather

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