perl -ne'/(data)/ && print $1 and last' file.txt perl -ne'/(data)/ && print $1 && last' file.txt #### .. print ($1) ... #### perl -MO=Deparse -ne'/(data)/ && print $1 && last' file.txt #### LINE: while (defined($_ = )) { print $1 && last if /(data)/; } #### perl -MO=Deparse -ne'/(data)/ && print ($1) && last' file.txt #### LINE: while (defined($_ = )) { last if /(data)/ and print $1; } #### perl -MO=Deparse -ne'/(data)/ && print $1 and last' file.txt #### LINE: while (defined($_ = )) { last if /(data)/ and print $1; }