On the command line -F works fine >perl -naF, -e "print @F" all_data.txt >perl -naF/,/ -e "print @F" all_data.txt >perl -naF',' -e "print @F" all_data.txt >perl -naF"," -e "print @F" all_data.txt But in a shebang line in a file I can't find a way to have the switch processed: script.pl #!/usr/bin/perl -na -F, print @F; >script.pl all_data.txt ... not split, $F[0] eq $_ With -F/,/ or -F"," or -F',' I get: >script.pl all_data.txt syntax error at E:\gust\script.pl line 2, near "print"