#!/usr/bin/perl
use strict;

my @inputData =
(
    'test.dat',
    'test.exe',
    'testadat.exe',
    'testaexe.dat',
);

my @regExp =
(
    'test.dat',
    'test.exe',
);

print "----- Without quotemeta ---------------\n";
foreach my $regularExpression (@regExp)
{
    print "Using regular expression /$regularExpression/:\n";
    foreach my $inputLine (@inputData)
    {
        if ($inputLine =~ /$regularExpression/)
        {
            print "    Match:  \"$inputLine\"\n";
        }
    }
}
print "----- With quotemeta ------------------\n";
foreach my $regularExpression (@regExp)
{
    my $actualRegularExpression = quotemeta $regularExpression;
    print "Using regular expression /$actualRegularExpression/:\n";
    foreach my $inputLine (@inputData)
    {
        if ($inputLine =~ /$actualRegularExpression/)
        {
            print "    Match:  \"$inputLine\"\n";
        }
    }
}
print "----- Fini ----------------------------\n";


##</code><code>##

D:\PerlMonks>regex1.pl
----- Without quotemeta ---------------
Using regular expression /test.dat/:
    Match:  "test.dat"
    Match:  "testadat.exe"
Using regular expression /test.exe/:
    Match:  "test.exe"
    Match:  "testaexe.dat"
----- With quotemeta ------------------
Using regular expression /test\.dat/:
    Match:  "test.dat"
Using regular expression /test\.exe/:
    Match:  "test.exe"
----- Fini ----------------------------

D:\PerlMonks>