Oh Mighty Gurus,

This is a Perl 101 question for sure, but I don't know what this code/operator/action is called, so I can't look up on internet what it is and find out what it does!

To wit, I have some code that, eventually, has a variable called $bcsdir that has the value of a long path-like string: 

/part/of/path/Ganymed-4_0/Ganymed-4_0_Reynolds/CF0180x6C

[download]
Now, that last node doesn't actually exist on disk, but .../Ganymed-4_0_Reynolds/CF0180x6C_DE0360xPE0180 does. In the code, I then see this operate on $bcsdir: 
$bcsdir = (<${bcsdir}*>)[0];

[download]
and that seems to expand out the path...or something? Because after that call, $bcsdir now has: 
/part/of/path/Ganymed-4_0/Ganymed-4_0_Reynolds/CF0180x6C_DE0360xPE0180

[download]
The variable is longer and exists as a path!

So, in trying to help me learn how to hack Perl: what is happening and what is it called? Is this some magic I should learn? :)

Thanks, Matt

In reply to What is this Perlism called...and what does it do? by mathomp4

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