I am trying to create a regex to extract the variable "my_variable" from a text format like this stored in $data: 
unwanted_line1=blabla
unwanted_line2=blabla
my_variable=important_content_section1
important_content_section2
important_content_section3
unwanted_line3=blabla

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or 
unwanted_line1=blabla
unwanted_line2=blabla
my_variable=important_content_section1
important_content_section2
important_content_section3
[stepxyz#xxxx]

[download]
I tryed the following regex: 
my ($getVariable) = $data =~ /(my_variable=.*\n(.+[^=]\n?)*)/;

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important_content_section1 is never empty, that's why i used my_variable=.*\n but it does get what i want only if i got this: 
unwanted_line1=blabla
unwanted_line2=blabla
my_variable=important_content_section1
important_content_section2
important_content_section3
unwanted_line3=

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What i want to get in $getVarible is: 
my_variable=important_content_section1
important_content_section2
important_content_section3

[download]
Update: Based on anonymus monk response, i got the solution for first data format. This is the solution: my ($getVariable) = $data =~ /(my_variable=.*\n(?:[^=\n]*\n)*)/; How can i update the regex to stop also at the lines that match [step?

In reply to Multiline regex by adrya407

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