I'm having a hard time with what seems like a really simple issue: comparing a string to a variable. I've pored over the Camel book and the docs for a disturbing amount of time and I'm stumped by something that hasn't been an issue for me for 15 years. For some reason when I run the code below I keep get warnings about uninitialized values in the pattern match.

while ($allChanges->[$k]) {
   $logger->info("Change $k was to the ", $allChanges->[$k]->getField(
+), " field of testCase ", $allChanges->[$k]->getKey(), " on createdDa
+te ", $allChanges->[$k]->printCreatedDate(), " Old String = (", $allC
+hanges->[$k]->getOldString(), ") New String = ", $allChanges->[$k]->g
+etNewString());
   local $oldString = $allChanges->[$k]->getOldString();
   local $newString = $allChanges->[$k]->getNewString();
   $logger->debug("oldString = (", $oldString, ")");
   $logger->debug("newString = (", $newString, ")");
   print Dumper($oldString);

   if ($oldString eq "Automated") { # Line 103, the one that gives all
+ the trouble.
      $logger->debug("old string = Automated: ", $oldString);
      $logger->debug("new string: ", $newString);
   }
}

package ChangeItem;
sub new {
    my $class = shift;
    my $logger = get_logger("ChangeItem");
    my $self = { } ;
    if (@_) {
        $self->{line} = shift @_;
    }
    $self->{key} = 0;
    $self->{field} = 0;
    $self->{oldString} = 0;
    $self->{newString} = 0;
    $self->{createdDate} = 0;
    $self->{version} = 0;       
    bless ($self, $class);
    return $self;
}
sub setOldString {
    my $self = shift;
    $self->{oldString} = shift;
}

sub getOldString {
    my $self = shift;
    return $self->{oldString};
}
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When I run the code I keep getting warnings about uninitialized values in the pattern match

INFO main:::80: Change 0 was to the Automated field of testCase HIREX-
+16861 on createdDate 2013-05-13 10:16:05 Old String = (To Be Automate
+d) New String = Ready For Integration
DEBUG main:::84: oldString = (To Be Automated)
DEBUG main:::85: newString = (Ready For Integration)
$VAR1 = 'To Be Automated';
Use of uninitialized value in pattern match (m//) at weeklyAutomationC
+hanges.pl line 103.
Use of uninitialized value in pattern match (m//) at weeklyAutomationC
+hanges.pl line 103.
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The value of $oldString is populated by a call to ChangeItem::getOldString(). I can see that it has a value because it's being printed. I've checked that the value is a simple scalar by sending it to Data::Dumper ($VAR1 = 'To Be Automated';). I feel like I'm missing something incredibly basic but at this point I'm baffled.