Re: I need a simple explantion of the difference between my() and local()

The reason you're having a hard time finding a simple explanation of the differences between my and local is that the differences between my and local aren't simple.

That said, you should almost always use 'my'. Use 'my' when you want to create a new variable inside a subroutine that nobody else can see:

sub foo {
   my ($arg) = @_;
   my $bar = $arg + 1;
   return $bar;
}

'local' is mostly left over from Perl 4. Instead of creating a whole new variable, it takes an existing variable and saves a copy of its value that will be restored when you're done with it. There are only comparatively rare occasions where it is necessary to use 'local' instead of 'my'. Generally, in those cases, the compiler will scream at you if you try to use 'my' there, so as you're starting out, just use 'my'.

stephen