use YAPE::Regex::Explain; print YAPE::Regex::Explain->new( qr/'\.(\d+)\.I\./ )->explain; __END__ The regular expression: (?-imsx:'\.(\d+)\.I\.) 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): ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ' '\'' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- \. '.' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ( group and capture to \1: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- \d+ digits (0-9) (1 or more times (matching the most amount possible)) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ) end of \1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- \. '.' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- I 'I' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- \. '.' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ) end of grouping ----------------------------------------------------------------------