if($var =~ /,/)
 {
     print "not matches \n";
 }
 elsif($var =~ /(.*)/)
 {
     print "matches \n Captured: $1\n";
 }

[download]

The intent here seems to be to capture the entire string if it contains no comma. But  $var already holds the entire string! Why 'capture' it again?

Furthermore, a confounding subtlety lurks at the heart of the seemingly simple, innocent  /(.*)/ regex: the  . (dot) metaoperator matches everything except a newline: it will only capture up to the first newline, if present. You have just built a bug into your code. (This subtlety is the rationale for the PBP injunction to always use the  /s "dot matches all" modifier with every regex.)

In reply to Re^2: Regex to capture every readable character except COMMA by AnomalousMonk
in thread Regex to capture every readable character except COMMA by nehavin

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