I started using Switch, then I read in CPAN "do not use if you can use given/when". Then when I used given/when, I ended up with warnings plus advice not to use given/when. Hmmmmmm. As an occasional perl user, that is a little frustrating rewriting the same section of code 3x to do exactly the same thing. I just need something that has case type functionality.

I can certainly understand your frustration. This was a very sad affair for the Perl community. Though adding smart match into Perl was premature, and had to be backed out, at least P5P learned a valuable lesson.

Not wanting to gloat (no, really) but this didn't affect me, at all, because I've never been a fan of switch. Stronger, I've almost never used Switch in over 20 years of coding in C++ and Perl and always queried its use during code reviews. Though it's a bit extreme to call Switch a code smell, cleaner alternatives, such as lookup-tables (hashes in Perl) and polymorphism (in OO languages, such as C++ and Java) should be preferred.

From Perl Best Practices I suggest you take a look at the Control Structures chapter, especially:

• 6.16 Value Switches - Use table look-up in preference to cascaded equality tests (item 78)
• 6.17 Tabular Ternaries - When producing a value, use tabular ternaries (item 79)

Though my advice in Perl is usually "just use a hash", as a last resort you could replace your switch with an if-elsif-elsif-else construct.

References Added Later

• Re: Modern exposition of "case" or Switch in perl 5.34? by kcott (2021)
• Modern exposition of "case" or Switch in perl 5.34? by symgryph (2021)
• Hash versus chain of elsifs by mldvx4 (2021)

• 'switch' and 'smartmatch' features deprecated in 5.38 by ibm1620 (2023)
• Perl named operators and builtin subs introduced since 5.6 by ikegami (2023)
• Re: using smartmatch for range matching by ikegami (2023) - the unfortunate smartmatch chaos resulted in the creation of policies to make new features experimental
• using smartmatch for range matching by perltux (2023) - is smartmatch really being deprecated? (yes, it will be gone in perl 5.42)
• Smartmatch is deprecated (perldiag)

• Switch depreciated? by ksublondie (2016) - Perl::Critic warns that Switch is deprecated
• Switch Module on Perl 5.8.0 by bichonfrise74 (2011) - Switch module causing problems on Perl 5.8.0
• Would you use a switch instead? by anonymonk (2009)

• Switch statements are bad? (StackOverflow)
• Should I use switch statements or long if else chains? (StackExchange)

• Endorsement from committer to submit TPF Grant Application to add given/when to Switch.pm by ait (Apr 1 2024) - oops, hippo notes it's already there ... April Fools?
• Re: Endorsement from committer to submit TPF Grant Application to add given/when to Switch.pm by TheDamian suggests it's not April Fools (we'll see at TPC, June 2024)
• The Once and Future Perl (youtube 1:31 hr) by Damian Conway, TPRC 2024, Las Vegas (1:08:25: use feature switch given/when, use v5.40, use feature 'switch', use feature 'smartmatch' but going away in perl v5.42 but his new Multi::Dispatch is better and migration from old smartmatch is straightforward, new module Switch::Back, 1:16:30, smartmatch: 46 rules down to 6 rules, use builtins qw<true false>)
• The Perl and Raku Conference - Las Vegas, NV 2024 Playlists (youtube)

• Perl v5.42.0 is now available! by choroba (Jul 2025) - Switch is still alive in perl 5.42.0 (see perl 5.42.0 changes and (update) perldelta) especially Switch and Smart Match operator kept, behind a feature section)

On CPAN:

• Switch::Back by DCONWAY - given/when for a post-given/when Perl (Jun 27 2024)
• Switch::Right by DCONWAY - Switch and smartmatch done right this time (Jun 30 2024)
• Multi::Dispatch by DCONWAY - Multiple dispatch for Perl subs and methods (Jul 08 2024)
• Object::Pad by Paul Evans - a simple syntax for lexical field-based objects (Jul 15 2024)

• Switch by Alexandr Ciornii (chorny?) - a switch statement for Perl, do not use if you can use given/when
• Switch::Plain by Lukas Mai - a simple switch statement for Perl (not a source filter, uses pluggable keywords)
• Switch::Perlish by Dan Brook - a Perlish implementation of the switch statement

• Syntax::Keyword::Match by Paul Evans - a match/case syntax for perl
• XS::Parse::Keyword by Paul Evans - XS functions to assist in parsing keyword syntax

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