Finding missing syntax element

From: Harry Putnam (reader_at_newsguy.com)
Date: 12/12/04 

To: beginners@perl.org
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 2004 13:50:39 -0600

I'm working on a program with some 433 lines of perl code.
Some where in the course of editing today I've run up on an error that
I need some way to debug.

the code includes
   use diagnostics;

And the message I get when I try to run it:

  Missing right curly or square bracket at ./nms2.pl line 433, at end
  of line syntax error at ./nms2.pl line 433, at EOF Execution of
  ./nms2.pl aborted due to compilation errors (#1)

    (F) The lexer counted more opening curly or square brackets than
    closing ones. As a general rule, you'll find it's missing near
    the place you were last editing.
    
  Uncaught exception from user code:
        Missing right curly or square bracket at ./nms2.pl line 433,
  at end of line syntax error at ./nms2.pl line 433, at EOF Execution
  of ./nms2.pl aborted due to compilation errors. at ./nms2.pl line
  433

I've found over time that one or another of my editors will spot a
missmatched syntax element with its syntax coloring.

Either Emacs in cperl mode or vim always helps find something like
this.

This time I can find no lapse in the coloring, and taking the advice
given I don't find it by hand. However I've sort of lost track of
what all I may have edited today. But stepping thru the 433 lines I
just don't see it.

Using `strict' finds numerous things to complain about but its all
about global symbols which I use sort of poorly. And I'm sure even if
the script ran `Strict' would find all the same stuff to holler about.

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