sub file_mode {
  my ($file) = @_;
  if( ! -f $file ) {
    return -1;
  }
  my $dummy;
  my $mode;
  ($dummy,$dummy, $mode, $dummy, $dummy, $dummy, $dummy, $dummy, $dummy,
          $dummy, $dummy, $dummy, $dummy) = stat($file);
  return $mode;
}

##</code><code>##

sub file_mode {
  -f shift or return -1;
  return (stat(_))[2];
}