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=head1 TITLE
Built-ins: Merge and generalize C<index> and C<rindex>
=head1 VERSION
Maintainer: Damian Conway <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: 7 August 2000
Version: 10
Mailing List: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Number: 53
=head1 ABSTRACT
This RFC proposes that the C<index> and C<rindex> functions be merged
and generalized, by adding a fourth parameter to C<index>.
=head1 DESCRIPTION
At present C<index> only returns the index of the first occurrence of a
specified substring. It is proposed that C<index> take a fourth parameter
telling it which occurrence of a specified substring to locate:
$first = index $string, $substring, 0, 1; # first occurrence
$first = index $string, $substring, 0, 2; # second occurrence
$first = index $string, $substring, 0, 3; # third occurrence
If omitted, this fourth parameter would default to 1, thus preversing
the current behaviour.
The C<rindex> function would be unnecessary, being replaced by:
$last = index $string, $substring, -1, -1; # last occurence
=head1 IMPLEMENTATION
Dammit, Jim, I'm a doctor, not an engineer!
