($name, $num) =              # assign string parts to variables
($str =~                     # we gonna do regexes!
  /^                         # beginning of the string

  (                          # begin of group
    \w+                      # \w a couple'o times  
  )                          # end of group

  (                          # begin of group
    \d{0,}                   # \d a couple'o times
                     # why not just \d* ?
    $                        # end of string
    /                        # backslash after end of string
  )                          # end of group
  ;                          # a semicolon after end of string
                             # unexpected end of line?