Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!snorkelwacker!bloom-beacon!bu.edu!nntp-read!composer
From: composer@bucsf.bu.edu (Jeff Kellem)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.perl
Subject: Re: simple script to write a file core dumps, why?
Message-ID: <COMPOSER.90Mar10194634@bucsf.bu.edu>
Date: 11 Mar 90 00:46:34 GMT
References: <257@cmic.UUCP> <7335@jpl-devvax.JPL.NASA.GOV>
	<1990Mar10.031524.25799@NCoast.ORG>
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In-reply-to: allbery@NCoast.ORG's message of 10 Mar 90 03:15:24 GMT

In article <1990Mar10.031524.25799@NCoast.ORG> allbery@NCoast.ORG (Brandon S. Allbery) writes:
   [..referring to print and printf, and the optional FILEHANDLE argument]

 > Why does the comma matter?

If a comma is placed after the FILEHANDLE, then the "intended" FILEHANDLE
becomes the beginning of a LIST to be printed, and, as such, prints the
LIST to stdout (or the currently selected FILEHANDLE).

As in ...
	print STDERR "looks fine";   # this is okay

	print STDERR, "uh-oh";       # should produce a compilation error
				     # because of the comma after STDERR
	
Keep hackin'...

				-jeff

Jeff Kellem
INTERNET: composer@cs.bu.edu  (or composer@bu.edu)
UUCP: ...!harvard!bu-cs!composer