$ ./2.excel.pl
abs is /home/bob/Documents/meditations/2.excel.pl
path1 is /home/bob/Documents/meditations
path2 is /home/bob/Documents/meditations/template_stuff
This script will build path2? Abort with ctrl-c.
$VAR1 = {
          'monk_tags' => bless( [
                                  '/home/bob/Documents/meditations/template_stuff/1.test.xml',
                                  '/home/bob/Documents/meditations/template_stuff/1.test.xml'
                                ], 'Path::Tiny' ),
          'book' => 'excel template example ',
          'output' => bless( [
                               '/home/bob/Documents/meditations/template_stuff/output',
                               '/home/bob/Documents/meditations/template_stuff/output'
                             ], 'Path::Tiny' )
        };
string monk is /home/bob/Documents/meditations/template_stuff/1.test.xml
string save is /home/bob/Documents/meditations/template_stuff/output/30-11-2018-17-15-37.monk.txt
Not a GLOB reference at /usr/local/share/perl/5.26.1/Spreadsheet/WriteExcel/OLEwriter.pm line 250.
	(in cleanup) Not a GLOB reference at /usr/local/share/perl/5.26.1/Spreadsheet/WriteExcel/OLEwriter.pm line 418.
$ cat 2.excel.pl
#!/usr/bin/perl -w
use 5.011;
use Path::Tiny;
use POSIX qw(strftime);
use Data::Dumper;

# initialization that must precede main data structure
# User: enter a subdirectory you would like to create
#       enter a subdirectory of this^^^ for output

my $ts     = "template_stuff";
my $output = "output";

# User: enter a name for a template file
my $template_file = "1.test.xml";

## turning things to Path::Tiny
my $abs   = path(__FILE__)->absolute;
my $path1 = Path::Tiny->cwd;
my $path2 = path( $path1, $ts );

say "abs is $abs";
say "path1 is $path1";
say "path2 is $path2";
print "This script will build path2? Abort with ctrl-c.";

my $prompt = <STDIN>;
chomp $prompt;
die if ( $prompt eq "n" );

# Path::Tiny creates $ts directory if necessary
my $abs_to_template = path( $path2, $template_file )->touchpath;

# script params
my %vars = (
  monk_tags    => path( $path2, $template_file ),
  output => path( $path2, $output ),
  book         => 'excel template example ',
);

my $rvars = \%vars;
print Dumper $rvars;

my $munge = strftime( "%d-%m-%Y-%H-%M-%S", localtime );
$munge .= ".monk.txt";

# use Path::Tiny to create and write to a text in relevant directory
my $save_file = path( $vars{output}, $munge )->touchpath;

## stringify input and output files for export
my $string_monk = $vars{monk_tags}->stringify;
say "string monk is $string_monk";

my $string_save = $save_file->stringify;
say "string save is $string_save";

## end preliminaries
# keep time

my $start = time;

use Excel::Template;

# Create the Excel template
my $template = Excel::Template->new( filename => $string_monk, );

# Add a few parameters
$template->param(
  HOME => $ENV{HOME},
  PATH => $ENV{PATH},
);

$template->write_file($save_file);
say time - $start, "seconds elapsed during execution";

say "created file $save_file";
system("gedit $save_file &");

__END__ 
$ 

##</code><code>##

$ ./3.excel.pl
abs is /home/bob/Documents/meditations/3.excel.pl
path1 is /home/bob/Documents/meditations
path2 is /home/bob/Documents/meditations/template_stuff
This script will build path2. Abort with ctrl-c.$VAR1 = {
          'output' => bless( [
                               '/home/bob/Documents/meditations/template_stuff/output',
                               '/home/bob/Documents/meditations/template_stuff/output'
                             ], 'Path::Tiny' ),
          'book' => 'excel template example ',
          'monk_tags' => bless( [
                                  '/home/bob/Documents/meditations/template_stuff/1.test.xml',
                                  '/home/bob/Documents/meditations/template_stuff/1.test.xml'
                                ], 'Path::Tiny' )
        };
string monk is /home/bob/Documents/meditations/template_stuff/1.test.xml
string save is /home/bob/Documents/meditations/template_stuff/output/30-11-2018-10-58-04.monk.txt
Not a GLOB reference at /usr/local/share/perl/5.26.1/Spreadsheet/WriteExcel/OLEwriter.pm line 250, <INFILE> line 0.000000.
	(in cleanup) Not a GLOB reference at /usr/local/share/perl/5.26.1/Spreadsheet/WriteExcel/OLEwriter.pm line 418, <INFILE> line 0.000000.
$ ./3.excel.pl
abs is /home/bob/Documents/meditations/3.excel.pl
path1 is /home/bob/Documents/meditations
path2 is /home/bob/Documents/meditations/template_stuff
This script will build path2. Abort with ctrl-c or n.standard in waits for you
$VAR1 = {
          'monk_tags' => bless( [
                                  '/home/bob/Documents/meditations/template_stuff/1.test.xml',
                                  '/home/bob/Documents/meditations/template_stuff/1.test.xml'
                                ], 'Path::Tiny' ),
          'book' => 'excel template example ',
          'output' => bless( [
                               '/home/bob/Documents/meditations/template_stuff/output',
                               '/home/bob/Documents/meditations/template_stuff/output'
                             ], 'Path::Tiny' )
        };
string monk is /home/bob/Documents/meditations/template_stuff/1.test.xml
string save is /home/bob/Documents/meditations/template_stuff/output/30-11-2018-11-07-45.monk.txt
Not a GLOB reference at /usr/local/share/perl/5.26.1/Spreadsheet/WriteExcel/OLEwriter.pm line 250, <INFILE> line 0.000000.
	(in cleanup) Not a GLOB reference at /usr/local/share/perl/5.26.1/Spreadsheet/WriteExcel/OLEwriter.pm line 418, <INFILE> line 0.000000.
$ cat 3.excel.pl
#!/usr/bin/perl -w
use 5.011;
use Path::Tiny;
use POSIX qw(strftime);
use Data::Dumper;

# initialization that must precede main data structure
# User: enter a subdirectory you would like to create
#       enter a subdirectory of this^^^ for output

my $ts     = "template_stuff";
my $output = "output";

# User: enter a name for a template file
my $template_file = "1.test.xml";

## turning things to Path::Tiny
my $abs   = path(__FILE__)->absolute;
my $path1 = Path::Tiny->cwd;
my $path2 = path( $path1, $ts );

say "abs is $abs";
say "path1 is $path1";
say "path2 is $path2";
say "This script will build path2. Abort with ctrl-c or n.";
print "standard in waits for you";

my $prompt = <STDIN>;
chomp $prompt;
die if ( $prompt eq "n" );

# Path::Tiny creates $ts directory if necessary
my $abs_to_template = path( $path2, $template_file )->touchpath;

# script params
my %vars = (
  monk_tags => path( $path2, $template_file ),
  output    => path( $path2, $output ),
  book      => 'excel template example ',
);

my $rvars = \%vars;
print Dumper $rvars;

my $munge = strftime( "%d-%m-%Y-%H-%M-%S", localtime );
$munge .= ".monk.txt";

# use Path::Tiny to create and write to a text in relevant directory
my $save_file = path( $vars{output}, $munge )->touchpath;

## stringify input and output files for export
my $string_monk = $vars{monk_tags}->stringify;
say "string monk is $string_monk";

my $string_save = $save_file->stringify;
say "string save is $string_save";

## end preliminaries
# keep time

my $start = time;

use Excel::Template;

# Create the Excel template
my $template = Excel::Template->new( FILE => \*DATA );

# Add a few parameters
$template->param(
  HOME => $ENV{HOME},
  PATH => $ENV{PATH},
);

$template->write_file($save_file);
say time - $start, "seconds elapsed during execution";

say "created file $save_file";
system("gedit $save_file &");

 __DATA__
<workbook>
    <worksheet name="tester">
        <cell text="$HOME" />
        <cell text="$PATH" />
    </worksheet>
</workbook>
$ 



##</code><code>##

Not a GLOB reference at /usr/local/share/perl/5.26.1/Spreadsheet/WriteExcel/OLEwriter.pm line 250, <INFILE> line 0.000000.
	(in cleanup) Not a GLOB reference at /usr/local/share/perl/5.26.1/Spreadsheet/WriteExcel/OLEwriter.pm line 418, <INFILE> line 0.000000.