I believe you're correct. I tried to verify my recollection and came up with something even stranger.

#!/usr/bin/perl
# 5.6.1
use strict;
use warnings;
my @values = qw ( one  var.1 test);
getsymbolval(@values);

#################################################
sub getsymbolval{
    my @syms = @_;
    foreach my $symbol (@syms){
        $symbol=~m/(\w+)(\.)?(\d+)/;
        print "symbol: $symbol\t\$1: $1\t\$2:$2\n";
        my ($ts,$te) = ($1,$2);
    }
    wantarray ? @syms : $syms[0];
}

__END__
[download]

---

Output follows (minus uninitilized warnings): What's up with just 'v' being in the regex?
symbol: one $1: $2:
symbol: var.1 $1: var $2:.
symbol: test $1: v $2:
Very odd.

-Lee

"To be civilized is to deny one's nature."