c:\@Work\Perl\monks>perl -wMstrict -le
"my $text = 'foo/bar/baz/boff zip/zit/zot/zap';
 print qq{'$text'};
 ;;
 my $regex_object = qr{ /bar/baz/ }xms;
 my $plain_string =    '/zit/zot/';
 ;;
 $text =~ s/ $regex_object | $plain_string /OTHER/xmsg;
 print qq{'$text'};
"
'foo/bar/baz/boff zip/zit/zot/zap'
'fooOTHERboff zipOTHERzap'

##</code><code>##

c:\@Work\Perl\monks>perl -wMstrict -le
"my $text = 'foo {bar} baz { whiz } boff';
 print qq{A: '$text'};
 ;;
 $text =~ s{ { \s* \w+ \s* } }{OTHER}xmsg;
 print qq{   '$text'};
 ;;
 $text = 'abc {tuvw} de { xyz } fghi';
 print qq{B: '$text'};
 ;;
 $text =~ s{ [\}\{] \s* \w+ \s* [\}\{] }{OTHER}xmsg;
 print qq{   '$text'};
"
A: 'foo {bar} baz { whiz } boff'
   'foo OTHER baz OTHER boff'
B: 'abc {tuvw} de { xyz } fghi'
   'abc OTHER de OTHER fghi'

##</code><code>##

do { $foundstring =~ s§(<a |\[)([^<>\"]*)(<span class=\"foundterm\">)~~([^~]+)~~(</span>)§$1$2$4§igs;    } while $foundstring =~ m§(<a |\[)([^<>\"]*)(<span class=\"foundterm\">)~~([^~]+)~~(</span>)§is;

##</code><code>##

c:\@Work\Perl\monks>perl -wMstrict -le
"my $text = '123 abc 456 de 789 fghi 321';
 print qq{A:    '$text'};
 ;;
 do {  printf 'running s/// -> ';
       $text =~ s{ [a-z]+ }{OTHER}xmsg;
       print qq{'$text'};
       }
 while $text =~ m{ [a-z]+ }xms;
 print qq{done: '$text'};
 ;;
 $text = '123 rs 456 tuvw 789 xyz 321';
 print qq{B: '$text'};
 ;;
 $text =~ s{ [a-z]+ }{OTHER}xmsg;
 print qq{   '$text'};
"
A:    '123 abc 456 de 789 fghi 321'
running s/// -> '123 OTHER 456 OTHER 789 OTHER 321'
done: '123 OTHER 456 OTHER 789 OTHER 321'
B: '123 rs 456 tuvw 789 xyz 321'
   '123 OTHER 456 OTHER 789 OTHER 321'