"...something like strinc"

C:\>perl -E "sub strinc {
           $strToBeInc = shift; 
           $strToBeInc++; 
           return $strToBeInc;
} 
my $str='a'; 
my $foo = strinc($str); 
say $foo;"
b
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While I agree with what I think is one of moritz' points -- namely, that P5 is going to have to break backward-compat at some point... or stop improving and die -- I don't think we're there, yet, nor do I see how replicating the code behind ++ to provide a (duplicative) strinc is a plus, unless it allows removing a lot of cruft from ++.