#!/usr/bin/perl
# Jaime Prilusky, 2008
# simple use of 'select' for redirecting STDOUT
# this will save to an external file, when provided 
# or send the output to the screen

 my $f = $ARGV[0]; # optional filename to send the output
 
 print "Starting ...\n"; # this goes to the default STDOUT: screen
 
 if ($f) {               # if we received a filename
   open(OUT,">$f");      # open it for writing on filehandle OUT
   $oldfh = select OUT;  # store the current STDOUT in $oldfh
                         # and set STDOUT to OUT
 }

  foreach $i (1 .. 10) { print "$i\n"; } # send something to STDOUT

 if ($f) {        # if we received a filename
   close(OUT);    # close the filehandle
   select $oldfh; # restore the old STDOUT
 }

  print "Done.\n"; # this goes to the default STDOUT: screen