if ($line =~ /blablabla :(.+?): bleblable/){ $my_var = fixn($1); do_whatever_I_want_with($my_var); } #### sub fixn($){ my $str = "@_"; $str =~ s/[^a-zA-Z0-9^_\-\\`\.\[\]\{\}~]//g; chomp $str; return $str; }