@q = split(/(.*?)/, $p);

##</code><code>##

@q = split(//,$p);

##</code><code>##

foreach (@q) {

##</code><code>##

@q = split (//, $p);
foreach (@q) {
    $count++ if $_ eq $matchchar;
    if ($_ eq $matchchar && ($count >= $nummatch)) {
        $_ = $repchar;
    }
}
$out = join ("", @q);
print "out === $out";

##</code><code>##

foreach (@q) {
    if ($_ eq $matchchar) {
        if (++$count >= $nummatch) {
           $_ = $repchar;
        }
    }
}

##</code><code>##

foreach (@q) {
    if ($_ eq $matchchar && ++$count >= $nummatch) {
       $_ = $repchar;
    }
}

##</code><code>##

foreach (@q) {
   $_ = ($_ eq $matchchar && ++$count >= $nummatch)?$repchar:$_;
}

##</code><code>##

@q = map { ($_ eq $matchchar && 
            ++$count >= $nummatch)?$repchar:$_ } @q;

##</code><code>##

@q = map { ($_ eq $matchchar && 
            ++$count >= $nummatch)?$repchar:$_ }
	 split(//, $p);

##</code><code>##

$out = join ("",
           map { ($_ eq $matchchar &&
                  ++$count >= $nummatch)?$repchar:$_ }
              split (//, $p));