[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > Here's what it prints: My name is $name. > > Here's the testmessage.txt file: My name is $name.
Hi Stuart, I think that there is a conceptual problem here. This really isn't the appropriate way to get modular code into a program. Programming would be a dangerous business indeed if our programs automatically interpolated variable names encountered in text data. The techncal concerns are relatively minor compared to the conceptual problems. I would recommend against pursuing this path of inquiry, because the mixing of data and program code is inherently a seed of error and system instability. It also can be an easy route for subverting system security. Data and program structures should not be mixed without compelling reason, and a high-end understanding of the potential consequences. New students of programming should avoid it entirely, IMHO. Can you think of a real-world situation where you would want to put program code in a data file? If you want modular functionality, Perl does have some very approachable protocols for creating packages of such functionality, including the option of creating instantiable objects to reflect real-world concepts. For this, you might want to start with: perldoc perlmod perldoc perlobj but first, for necessary background, read perldoc perlref or at least perldoc perlreftut Use the language features designed for linking functions, though. Hand-hcking mixed code and data will only get you in trouble. Joseph -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <http://learn.perl.org/> <http://learn.perl.org/first-response>
