If instead of a filehandle, you use a normal scalar variable with file manipulation functions, this is considered an indirect reference to a filehandle. You'll be pleased to know that I've been trying real hard to get rid of unnecessary punctuation in Perl 5. Not only do they function like case markers do in human language, but they are automatically distinguished within interpolative contexts, and the user doesn't have to worry about different syntactic treatments for variable references within or without such a context. I do hope you do understand what I mean. English has mandatory number markers, and people get upset when they doesn't agree.
Most people seems to like it that way.
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