What are good alternatives to opening files (open, three-arg open), and how do they compare?

When working with files in Perl, alternatives to the traditional methods of opening files (using the simple and three-argument forms of the `open` function) can provide various benefits such as improved readability, error handling, and ease of use. Here are a few alternatives:

File::Slurp

The File::Slurp module allows for reading and writing files in a very concise manner. It simplifies the process of file handling and provides methods to read entire files into a scalar variable or an array.

use File::Slurp;

# Read an entire file into a scalar
my $content = read_file('example.txt');

# Write data to a file
write_file('output.txt', "This is a sample content.");
    

File::Basename

This module helps manipulate filenames and paths, making it easier to manage file-related tasks without directly interacting with the file handling process.

Path::Tiny

The Path::Tiny module provides a simple and less verbose interface to deal with files and directories. It is designed to be easy to use while also being powerful.

use Path::Tiny;

# Read file content
my $content = path('example.txt')->slurp;

# Write to a file
path('output.txt')->spew("This is a sample content.");