$sd = "../data";
  opendir( DIR, $sd) || die;
  while( ($filename = readdir(DIR))){
    next if "$sd\/$filename" =~ /\/\./;
    push @dots, "$sd\/$filename";
  }  ## end of while
  @dots = sort @dots;
  closedir(DIR);
  for($a=0;$a<@dots;$a++){
    open (FILE, $dots[$a]);
    push @foo, <FILE>;
    close FILE;
  }  ## end of for