use YAPE::Regex::Explain; print YAPE::Regex::Explain->new(qr/^([^,]*),(.*)$/)->explain; print YAPE::Regex::Explain->new(qr!^.*/([^/]+)$!)->explain; __END__ The regular expression: (?-imsx:^([^,]*),(.*)$) matches as follows: NODE EXPLANATION ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (?-imsx: group, but do not capture (case-sensitive) (with ^ and $ matching normally) (with . not matching \n) (matching whitespace and # normally): ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ^ the beginning of the string ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ( group and capture to \1: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [^,]* any character except: ',' (0 or more times (matching the most amount possible)) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ) end of \1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- , ',' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ( group and capture to \2: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- .* any character except \n (0 or more times (matching the most amount possible)) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ) end of \2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- $ before an optional \n, and the end of the string ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ) end of grouping ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The regular expression: (?-imsx:^.*/([^/]+)$) matches as follows: NODE EXPLANATION ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (?-imsx: group, but do not capture (case-sensitive) (with ^ and $ matching normally) (with . not matching \n) (matching whitespace and # normally): ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ^ the beginning of the string ---------------------------------------------------------------------- .* any character except \n (0 or more times (matching the most amount possible)) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- / '/' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ( group and capture to \1: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [^/]+ any character except: '/' (1 or more times (matching the most amount possible)) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ) end of \1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- $ before an optional \n, and the end of the string ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ) end of grouping ----------------------------------------------------------------------