This is a class for null file handles. Calling a constructor of this class always succeeds, returning a new null file handle. Writing to any object of this class is always a no-operation, and returns true. Reading from any object of this class is always no-operation, and returns empty-string or empty-list, as appropriate. You could say: open(NULL, '>/dev/null') || die "WHAAT?! $!"; and get a null FH that way. But not everyone is using an OS that has a /dev/null