my $eq_qq = qr/
	\s+
	=
	\s+
	"([^"]*?)"
	\s*
/x; #!"

my $long_regex = qr/^\s+
	<gene_seq\s+
	id               $eq_qq
	status           $eq_qq
	CDS_number       $eq_qq
	number_of_CDSs   $eq_qq
	sequence_source  $eq_qq
	startpos         $eq_qq
	endpos           $eq_qq
	startopen        $eq_qq
	endopen          $eq_qq
	complement       $eq_qq
	>
/x;	#!"

if ($line =~ $long_regex) {
	print "$1\n$2\n$3\n$4\n$5\n$6\n$7\n$8\n$9\n$10";
}

##</code><code>##

c:\test>220232
3
Sanger source DNA code
1

/data/databases/flatfiles/sequences/species/genome/embl/ch1_Sp.embl
125676
126224
1
1
F


##</code><code>##

 
my @fields = $line =~ $long_regex;
if (@fields == 10) {
    # process $fields[0] .. $fields[9] here
}

##</code><code>##

my ($id, 
    $status, 
    $CDS_number, 
    $number_of_CDSs,
    $sequence_source,
    $startpos,
    $endpos,
    $startopen,
    $endopen,
    $complement) = $line =~ $long_regex; # Updated: Added ~

if ( $id =~ /\d{0,6}/ ) {
    print "ID:", $id, "appears to be valid\n";
    # Use $id...
}
...