There are probably three approaches to multiline comments that I can think of at the moment.

• using POD

  This one is part of the Perl language itself. it is fully documented in perlpod manual. You would do it like this:

  .... some code ....
  =pod
  multiline comment 
  (or just code that you don't want to be executed)
  =cut
  ...some more code...
  [download]

• Working around with if (0) {...}

  This is juat a workaround, where you place the code in a if block that is never executed (you can't put just any text there, because it is Perl code after all). However, you specifically asked for commenting out of Perl code, so this might be applicable to you

  ...some code...
  if (0) {
  ...some code commented out...
  }
  ...some more code...
  [download]

• use ACME::Comment

  There is a module ACME::Comment that let's you use any kind of commenting style you want. This example is taken straight from it's documentation:

   use Acme::Comment type=>'C++', own_line=>1;
  
      /*
      if (ref $mod) {
          $bar->{do}->blat(msg => 'blarg');
          eval {
  
      i'm sooo sick of this time for some coffee
  
      */
  
      // I prefer beer.  --sqrn
  [download]

Hope this helps.

If you use if (0), there are a few things you should be aware of. First, the code is still complied - so your outcommented code should be valid, otherwise your program won't compile. Second, things that have a compile time effect still happen. This includes, but is not limit to, use, BEGIN, our and subroutine declaration.

Abigail

=begin comment

Code to be outcommented.

=end comment
[download]

Just make sure that the code you are outcommenting doesn't have a =cut line.

Of course, with any decent editor, putting # at the beginning of each line of a selected block (or removing them) is a piece of cake.

And there's Acme::Comment, which would allow you to use C style comments, but that uses a simple source filter and it could filter out code that only looks like a comment, but isn't.

Abigail

Found in C:\Perl\lib\pod\perlfaq7.pod
  How can I comment out a large block of perl code?
            Use embedded POD to discard it:

                # program is here

                =for nobody
                This paragraph is commented out

                # program continues

                =begin comment text

                all of this stuff

                here will be ignored
                by everyone

                =end comment text

                =cut

            This can't go just anywhere. You have to put a pod directive
            where the parser is expecting a new statement, not just in the
            middle of an expression or some other arbitrary yacc grammar
            production.

You might wanna also read the PerlMonks FAQ and this tutorial -- ain't perlmonks great ;)

MJD says "you can't just make shit up and expect the computer to know what you mean, retardo!"

I run a Win32 PPM repository for perl 5.6.x and 5.8.x -- I take requests (README).

** The third rule of perl club is a statement of fact: pod is sexy.

Makeshifts last the longest.

...
operating
code
...
=cut
code or comments
that are ignored
=cut
...
more functional code
[download]