Slash Style Guide: Style 3 Operators $value = $foo || $bar; open(FILE, $file) or die $!; but don't use and instead of if where if is clearer: foo($bar) and baz($buz); # wrong baz($buz) if foo($bar); # right compound statements: put the primary action first: open(FILE, $fh) or die $!; # right die $! unless open(FILE, $fh); # wrong print "Starting\n" if $verbose; # right $verbose && print "Starting\n"; # wrong use here-docs instead of repeated print statements print <<THERE; This is a whole bunch of text. I like it. I don't need to worry about messing with lots of print statements and lining them up. THERE But remember, THERE is interpolated while 'THERE' isn't. So escape $ or @.