note
dimmesdale
From the perlfunc::open section of the site(aslo the perl manpages):
<blockquote>If EXPR is omitted, the scalar variable of the same name as the FILEHANDLE contains the filename.</blockquote>
That means that if an open is called like <code>open 0</code> then 0 is the filehandle, and the "scalar variable" to open. Take, for instance, this example from perlfunc::open: <BR>
<code>
$ARTICLE = 100;
open ARTICLE or die "Can't find article $ARTICLE: $!\n";
while (<ARTICLE>) {...
</code>
If your asking why, as in why is it that way, I'd presume its for brevity and ease, as in:<BR>
<code>
$LOG = '/path/to/log/file/';
open LOG;
</code>
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