Why are you using Tie::File? Doing line-based matching will be tricky. Unless your files are huge (many megabytes), slurping the entire file will be both faster and easier, and File::Slurp save you from worrying about any temp file mechanics:

use File::Slurp 'edit_file';
 
edit_file { s!<default>.+?</default>!<default>enabled</default>!sg } '
+inputfile';

[download]

With the same inputfile you list, I get the expected output:

this is line 1
this is line 2
<default>enabled</default>
this is line 3
<default>enabled</default>
this is last line

[download]

Have a look at File::Slurp for more information on this often overlooked but very handy function.

use strict; use warnings; omitted for brevity.

In reply to Re: parsing a multi-line pattern and replacing by rjt
in thread parsing a multi-line pattern and replacing by ghosh123

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