Sample perl code does not work (from Perl cookbook, 2nd ed.)

From: Staale (ksflock.takeaway_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 09/30/04 

Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2004 00:41:07 +0200

Howdy all.

Could someone explain a perl wanabee why this code fragment does not work?
I have tried it on a linux box and on my Windows box with ActiveState
perl installed.

#---- code start
   #!/usr/bin/perl -w
   # commify_series - show proper comma insertion in list output

   # @lists is an array of (references to anonymous) arrays
   @lists = (
       [ 'just one thing' ],
       [ qw(Mutt Jeff) ],
       [ qw(Peter Paul Mary) ],
       [ 'To our parents', 'Mother Theresa', 'God' ],
       [ 'pastrami', 'ham and cheese', 'peanut butter and jelly', 'tuna' ],
       [ 'recycle tired, old phrases', 'ponder big, happy thoughts' ],
       [ 'recycle tired, old phrases',
         'ponder big, happy thoughts',
         'sleep and dream peacefully' ],
       );

   foreach $aref (@lists) {
       print "The list is: " . commify_series(@$aref) . ".\n";
   }
   # demo for single list
   @list = qw(one two three);
   print "The last list is: " . commify_series(@list) . ".\n";

   sub commify_series {
       my $sepchar = grep(/,/ => @_) ? ";" : ",";
       (@_ = = 0) ? '' :
       (@_ = = 1) ? $_[0] :
       (@_ = = 2) ? join(" and ", @_) :
                   join("$sepchar ", @_[0 .. ($#_-1)], "and $_[-1]");
   }

#--- Code end

Best Regards
Staale Flock
Norway. 

-- 
To mail me takeaway the obvious..:o)
ksflock.takeaway@yahoo.com
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