#!perl use 5.012; # strict, // use warnings; for my $max ( 5, 30 ) { my $favorites = join '~~~', map("t|k|$_", 1..$max); # create data for SSCCE print "initial favorites: $favorites\n"; ##################################### my @favs = split /~~~/,$favorites; my $favnums = ""; # note that you have the wrong variable out here. this woiuld have been obvious if you had used warnings foreach (@favs[0..24]){ next unless defined; printf "fav: %s\t", $_; my ($favtitle,$favlink,$favnum) = split /\|/,$_; # you had the wrong split expression; you only need one pipe in the split $favnums = $favnum . "," . $favnums; print "partial favnums: $favnums\n"; } print "final favnums: $favnums\n"; } __END__ initial favorites: t|k|1~~~t|k|2~~~t|k|3~~~t|k|4~~~t|k|5 fav: t|k|1 partial favnums: 1, fav: t|k|2 partial favnums: 2,1, fav: t|k|3 partial favnums: 3,2,1, fav: t|k|4 partial favnums: 4,3,2,1, fav: t|k|5 partial favnums: 5,4,3,2,1, final favnums: 5,4,3,2,1, initial favorites: t|k|1~~~t|k|2~~~t|k|3~~~t|k|4~~~t|k|5~~~t|k|6~~~t|k|7~~~t|k|8~~~t|k|9~~~t|k|10~~~t|k|11~~~t|k|12~~~t|k|13~~~t|k|14~~~t|k|15~~~t|k|16~~~t|k|17~~~t|k|18~~~t|k|19~~~t|k|20~~~t|k|21~~~t|k|22~~~t|k|23~~~t|k|24~~~t|k|25~~~t|k|26~~~t|k|27~~~t|k|28~~~t|k|29~~~t|k|30 fav: t|k|1 partial favnums: 1, fav: t|k|2 partial favnums: 2,1, fav: t|k|3 partial favnums: 3,2,1, fav: t|k|4 partial favnums: 4,3,2,1, fav: t|k|5 partial favnums: 5,4,3,2,1, fav: t|k|6 partial favnums: 6,5,4,3,2,1, fav: t|k|7 partial favnums: 7,6,5,4,3,2,1, fav: t|k|8 partial favnums: 8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1, fav: t|k|9 partial favnums: 9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1, fav: t|k|10 partial favnums: 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1, fav: t|k|11 partial favnums: 11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1, fav: t|k|12 partial favnums: 12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1, fav: t|k|13 partial favnums: 13,12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1, fav: t|k|14 partial favnums: 14,13,12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1, fav: t|k|15 partial favnums: 15,14,13,12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1, fav: t|k|16 partial favnums: 16,15,14,13,12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1, fav: t|k|17 partial favnums: 17,16,15,14,13,12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1, fav: t|k|18 partial favnums: 18,17,16,15,14,13,12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1, fav: t|k|19 partial favnums: 19,18,17,16,15,14,13,12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1, fav: t|k|20 partial favnums: 20,19,18,17,16,15,14,13,12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1, fav: t|k|21 partial favnums: 21,20,19,18,17,16,15,14,13,12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1, fav: t|k|22 partial favnums: 22,21,20,19,18,17,16,15,14,13,12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1, fav: t|k|23 partial favnums: 23,22,21,20,19,18,17,16,15,14,13,12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1, fav: t|k|24 partial favnums: 24,23,22,21,20,19,18,17,16,15,14,13,12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1, fav: t|k|25 partial favnums: 25,24,23,22,21,20,19,18,17,16,15,14,13,12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1, final favnums: 25,24,23,22,21,20,19,18,17,16,15,14,13,12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1,