The Switch module is probably what could help here, though you are basically emulating a giant if-elsif-else statement with that.

Alternatively, assuming that I understand the problem right, you can create an array of hashes as shown below:

my @actions = (
   { 
     match => sub { $_[0] =~ /^(\w*)\.(\d*)$/; },
     type  => "inventory",
     action => &add_inventory;
   },
   {
     match => sub { $_[0] =~ /^maimed(\w*)$/; },
     type => "maimed",
     action => &handle_maimed;
   },
   {
     match => sub { $_[0] },
     type => "default",
     action => sub { print "I cannot handle ", $_[0]; }
   }
);

# much later

foreach my $file ( @filelist ) {
   foreach my $action ( @actions ) {
      if ( my @parts = &{ $action->{ match } }( $file ) ) {
          print "Am doing $action->{ type } on $file\n";
          &{ $action->{ action } }( @parts );
          last;
      }
   }
}
[download]

This avoids large if or switch blocks, and allows you to wrap code a bit better with a better explaination in the code to what is going on with each possible file type.

-----------------------------------------------------
Dr. Michael K. Neylon - mneylon-pm@masemware.com || "You've left the lens cap of your mind on again, Pinky" - The Brain
"I can see my house from here!"
It's not what you know, but knowing how to find it if you don't know that's important

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