B.12. Formats
Perl's formats
are an easy way to make fixed-format template-driven
reports
with automatic page headers. In fact, they are one of the main
reasons Larry developed Perl in the first place, as a Practical
Extraction and Report Language. But, alas,
they're limited. The heartbreak of formats happens when someone
discovers that he or she needs a little more than what formats
provide. This usually means ripping out the program's entire
output section and replacing it with code that doesn't use
formats. Still, if you're sure that formats do what you need,
all that you'll need, and all that
you'll ever need, they are pretty cool.
See the perlform manpage.