if(@$data[$i]->{"Date1"} eq "" || @$data[$i]->{"Date2"} eq ""){ ### getting error from above line $days = "N/A"; } else{ my $t1 = Time::Piece->strptime(@$data[$i]->{"Date1"},"%m/%d/%Y"); my $t2 = Time::Piece->strptime(@$data[$i]->{"Date2"},"%m/%d/%Y"); $days = $t2 - $t1; $days = int($days->days); } $ws->write(1, $i+1, $i+1, $colhdr);