(my $sec, my $min, my $hour, my $mday, my $mon, my $year, my $wday, my
+ $yday, my $isdst ) = localtime(time);
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my ( $sec, $min, $hour, $mday, $mon, $year, $wday, $yday, $isdst ) = l
+ocaltime(time);
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my $localtime = localtime(time);
my $sec = $localtime->sec;
my $min = $localtime->min;
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(my $sec, my $min, my $hour, my $mday, my $mon, my $year, my $wday, my $yday, my $isdst ) = @{localtime()};

There are probably better ways to manage dates, but I don't have the patience to explain at the moment.

The reason, according to perldoc Time::localtime, is that the module replaces the core localtime function which returns an array with one that returns a Time::tm object instead. So you're expected to use the object's methods to get at its values. In this case, since the object is a blessed array reference, treating it as an ordinary array reference also works, but it probably isn't safe to assume it always will.

Aaron B.
My Woefully Neglected Blog, where I occasionally mention Perl.

Doctor Doctor it hurts when I do this, what should I do?

Don’t do it if it hurts

I need to use

use Time::localtime;
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because later in the script, I am using

$dateModified = ctime($attrs->mtime);
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to get the timestamp of a file.

And if don't have the 'use Time' defined, then I get a 'Undefined subroutine &main::ctime called' error

So not just a question of If it hurts don't do it

Try not importing stuff from the module, i.e.

use Time::localtime ();   # note the parentheses
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and then call the function fully qualified

$dateModified = Time::localtime::ctime($attrs->mtime);
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(Or import only ctime, which should not clash.)