RR>  
 RR> Thank you for the information.  What do you plan to do with it?  Sounds
 RR> like it is suited toward tasks done in a batch processing script.  Is
 RR> that what you want it for?

 Actually, I'm currently re-writting out E911 DBMS software in PERL.  The
 PERL implementation is allowing me to quickly and easily make a powerful
 custom software package that actually runs much faster than its compiled
 FoxPro counter-part.

 Perl also handles user interaction fairly well.  With a curses add-on (there
 are many ways to add curses terminal capability, you have a powerful
 language.  With its socket capability you could concievably connect it to
 an XServer for X-Windows support (I want a socket absed GEM so bad I can
 TASTE it).

EL>  in an array called @_.  The 'local' function localizes a variable
EL>  so that its value is restored when the block ends.  You trap the
 RR>  
 RR> Restored when the block ends?   From that description it sounds like you 

 Uhh .. 

 RR> If what its doing is taking a global variable, saving its value,
 RR> re-using the variable for a "local" subroutine, then popping the
 RR> original value back into it... then why not just use a unique variable
 RR> name to re-use in every local function where we don't care what its
final 
 RR> value is ( a variable named "Temp" for example )?

 Yes, the local function/operator saves the old value of the variable on
 the stack, and pops it when the block ends.  

 You COULD re-use a variable name in every local function, however the
 book-keeping on it is tough, and .. what if you want more than one
 variable?  You can work it either way .. in fact, there is also a third
 way - all arguments are passed in the @_ array, which is normally assigned
 to a list of local variables for easy access of the data, such as :

        local ($param1,$param2,$param3) = @_;

 But, you can just use $_[0], $_[1], and $_[2] to access the @_ array.
 And if you don't like arrays that start with 0, there is another funny
 looking variable (like $_, @_, and such) that you can set to 1 to make
 arrays start at one (or set it 33 and all arrays will start at 33).

 The book is only $25 or so.  Get it :-)



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