in reply to Re^2: Misreading m// documentation (perlop =~ )
in thread Misreading m// documentation

> If the right argument is an expression rather than a search pattern,

True, but this doesn't apply here, it's literal a search pattern (i.e. compile time), the m is just optional:

Both generate exactly the same opcodes:

lanx@nc10-ubuntu:~$ perl -MO=Concise 'abc' =~ '\w{3}' __DATA__ 5 <@> leave[1 ref] vKP/REFC ->(end) 1 <0> enter ->2 2 <;> nextstate(main 1 -:1) v:{ ->3 4 </> match(/"\\w{3}"/) vKS/RTIME ->5 3 <$> const[PV "abc"] s ->4 - syntax OK lanx@nc10-ubuntu:~$ perl -MO=Concise 'abc' =~ m'\w{3}' __DATA__ 5 <@> leave[1 ref] vKP/REFC ->(end) 1 <0> enter ->2 2 <;> nextstate(main 1 -:1) v:{ ->3 4 </> match(/"\\w{3}"/) vKS/RTIME ->5 3 <$> const[PV "abc"] s ->4 - syntax OK

"expressions evaluated at runtime" are things like variables or functions or do-blocks...

DB<103> $x= '\w{3}' => "\\w{3}" DB<104> 'abc' =~ $x => 1 DB<105> sub regex { '\w{3}' } DB<106> 'abc' =~ regex() => 1

Cheers Rolf

( addicted to the Perl Programming Language)

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Re^4: Misreading m// documentation (perlop =~ )
by QM (Parson) on Mar 17, 2014 at 09:46 UTC
    OK, I see the light now.

    <pedantic>
    There's m//, and =~. m// can be used without =~ to match against $_, or with =~ to match against something else.

    Without the presence of =~, m// can omit the m if the delimiter is //, else it is required.

    =~ expects to see a match, substitution, or translation on the RHS, and assumes a match without m//, s//, y//, or tr//.
    </pedantic>

    And since m//, and =~ are 2 separate entities (that slightly overlap), the documentation doesn't tie these together explicitly (IMHO).

    -QM
    --
    Quantum Mechanics: The dreams stuff is made of