#!/usr/bin/perl

open (IN, 'database');

while (<IN>) {

    chomp;

    $last_name = substr $_, 0, 9;
    $first_name = substr $_, 9, 9;
    $city = substr $_, 18, 11;

    # do something useful here with each value

    print "$first_name $last_name lives in $city\n";

}

close (IN);