Helpful use: in this example i wanted to open an in-memory file so i could make use of Perl's: format & write operations. This will print a formatted line into a "in mem" file and return it as a scalar string to the calling function. It was a easy way of making a formatted (aligned) toString() for my class. Enjoy.
sub toString
{
my $self = shift;
my $thishash = $self->{_listofkeys};
my $memfile;
open (FORMATTED_OUT, '>',\$memfile) || warn "unable to open mem
+ory file!";
format FORMATTED_OUT =
IMEI BrandName Model OS
+ Registered To
==============================================================
+============================================
@<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< @<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< @<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< @<<<<
+<<<<<<<<<<<<<< @<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
$thishash->{IMEI}, $thishash->{PhoneBrandName}, $thishash->{Ph
+oneModel}, $thishash->{PhoneOS}, $thishash->{RegisteredTo}
.
write FORMATTED_OUT ;
close (FORMATTED_OUT);
return $memfile;
}