http://www.perlmonks.org?node_id=24618


in reply to A Set String Length

you can use printf to pad your fields like this:

printf("%-10s;", $string);
the minus sign means the padding goes to the right of the string, so you will get the spaces between your string and the semicolon

node 20519 has all the info you need about printf.

Good luck,
-Mark