if ($xxx or $yyy) {} value should be dropped context () is not compatible with context scalar if ($xxx and $yyy) {} value should be dropped context () is not compatible with context scalar $xxx && yyy(); value is dropped `xxx`; value is dropped /(.*)/; value is dropped map { xxx($_) } @l; if you don't use the return value, use "foreach" instead of "map" $xxx = chomp; () context not accepted here context () is not compatible with context scalar