`Try it Both Ways`

Which is better?

        while (<INFILE>) {
          exit if ( /^SCAN_CELLS/);
          last if /CHAIN_TEST/;
        }
        while (<INFILE>) {
          chomp;
          last if ( /^SCAN_CELLS/);
          if (/apply/) {

        while (<INFILE>) {
          chomp;
          last if ( /^SCAN_CELLS/);
          $chain_test=1  if (/CHAIN_TEST/);

          if (/apply/ && ($chain_test)) {

continued...