use strict; use warnings; use 5.010;
use Regexp::Common 'RE_balanced';

my $string = 'The use of parentheses (indicates that the ' .
   '(writer [considered] the {information}) less ' .
   '<important—almost> an afterthought).';

my $match = RE_balanced( -parens => '(){}[]<>' );

$string =~ s/${match}.*//;
$1 and say ">$_<" for $string, $1;

##</code><code>##

$ perl 11114819.pl
>The use of parentheses <
>(indicates that the (writer [considered] the {information}) less <important—almost> an afterthought)<