`Avoid Special Cases`

Try this:

       if (/apply/ && ($chain_test)) {
         die "Missing ';' in 'apply' line" if /apply[^;]*\n/; 
         $ct_scanout = 1 if /apply\s*\"grp[0-9]_unload\"/;
         while (<INFILE>) {
          chomp;
          if (/\bend\b/) {
            &printout;
            last;
          }
          next unless /\t*chain\s+\"chain([0-9])\"/;
          $chain_number = $1;
          &cleanup;
          $chain_input = (split /=/,$_)[1];
          $chain_input =~ tr/\"//d;
          $chain[$chain_number] = [split //, $chain_input];
        }
      }

When we see apply, go into a special inner loop
- When we see end, call printout and resume the outer loop
- This is a simple case of recursive-descent parsing