ewww.. isn't $& one of those variables that you should almost never use (along with $' and $`) because it slows down every pattern match afer that?

Actually I was refering to the s in your suggestion: s/./g wont even compile.

m/./g or equivalently /./g will work with $& as you suggested. s/.// will also work (note the lack of the g modifier), though it destroyes the original string.

I'm guessing you meant /./g which is why I think it was a typo.

-Blake