Hello kind monks. I am writing a quick and dirty script to do array command line processing. I want it to be able to accept arguments in the form of:

args.pl FOO=BAR TEST=VISION EVERYTHING=TWO

I'm pleased to say that it works with this script:

my $defaults = {};
%defaults = map {(($_ =~ /([^\=]+)\=([^\s]+)/)?("$1" => "$2"):())} @AR
+GV;
print join(",", keys %defaults);
[download]

This is a build script for the curious. I do NOT want to use a module, because I'm not going to learn why this script isn't working, so I thank you, but please none of those suggestions. This is for theory at this point. Now, I want to add in the functionality to be able to take backslashed spaces off of the command line (as in a directory with spaces in it, or other sort of item, or anything else to make it more extensible). Like:

args.pl QUICK=BROWN\ FOX JUMPED=OVER\ THE\ LAZY DOG

Validly finding QUICK and JUMPED as keys, but ignoring DOG.
However, I can't seem to get it to work with the regular expression. Boiling it down:

$_ =~ /([^\=]+)\=([^\s]+)/
[download]

is where this hell lies. The way I'm thinking of it, I see it as:

• At least one non equals characters, grouped
• An equals character
• At least one non-whitespace character, grouped

So, substituting this in a couple of ways:

$_ =~ /([^\=]+)\=([[^\s]|[\\\s]]+)/)
[download]

• At least one non equals characters, grouped
• An equals character
• At least one (non-whitespace or backslashed whitespace character), grouped

That didn't work

Neither did:

 $_ =~ /([^\=]+)\=([^[[^\\]\s]]+)/
[download]

Same as above except the last is:

....
• At least one (non- (non-backslashed whitespace)), grouped

This has the disadvantage of possibly being outright wrong (matching two characters?), but it's something I gave a shot to. So before I take up the shotgun and going blasting into the night for answers, can someone point me in the right direction? Am I looking for simply getting my negations right, or I am looking for more powerful regular expression gear. Thanks a bunch.

    --jb

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