On Jul 21, Brent Clark said:
I have the following code:
($fileName) = ($_ =~ /regexcode/o);
Which gives me the correct data.
But if I make it like so (note the () missing around the variable):
$fileName = ($_ =~ /regexcode/o);
Whats the difference.
The difference is the context. A pattern match returns different values
depending on whether it was called in scalar context or list context. In
scalar context, a pattern match returns whether or not it was able to
match. In list context, the pattern match returns the capture groups:
$x = "japhy" =~ /(.)...(.)/; # $x = 1
($x) = "japhy" =~ /(.)...(.)/; # $x = 'j'
@x = "japhy" =~ /(.)...(.)/; # @x = ('j', 'y')
By placing parentheses on the left-hand side of an = operation, you're
creating a list of values (even if it's one, or even zero values).
If the pattern match has the /g modifier on it (for global matching), the
context changes how it behaves as well.
--
Jeff "japhy" Pinyan % How can we ever be the sold short or
RPI Acacia Brother #734 % the cheated, we who for every service
http://japhy.perlmonk.org/ % have long ago been overpaid?
http://www.perlmonks.org/ % -- Meister Eckhart
--
To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
<http://learn.perl.org/> <http://learn.perl.org/first-response>
