I've been working on a script using HTML::Template and it just so turned out that I needed to do a triple <TMPL_LOOP> within my template file and it was giving me fits. I didn't especially want to post it on Perlmonks because the script was exceptionally long and I didn't think anyone in my office would be able to help me with it as I thought it would most likely be over their heads (not to mention that none of them have ever dealt with HTML::Template before), but I just couldn't seem to find the bug.

Finally, I decided that I had no choice - I was going to post some of the code (not enough to make it run, but hopefully enough so that people could get the idea) on Perlmonks and see if someone could understand enough of it to help me out.

As I was writing my post, I was trying very hard to explain exactly what the script was doing and how it was failing when I realized there was a pattern to the failure that I hadn't considered before. I quickly went back to the script, made a quick change, and had a fully functional appointment book. Simply by trying to explain the script on Perlmonks, I was able to solve my own problem.

I've used this technique before - explaining my code to someone (even if they have no idea what I'm talking about) and I believe Mission mentioned it in a recent post: The 'Code Block' when he said that he often discusses code with his wife and often finds his own mistakes while trying to explain what he's doing.

I just wonder if this works for a lot of other monks out there and what else you all might do when you really get stuck. Where do some of you turn when you don't think anyone can help?

- Sherlock

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