Strangely, the following seems to work for me:
$content = qq(<textarea class="FolderTxtArea" name="blah"><%=foo::doSo
+mething%></textarea>);

while ($content =~ m/(<textarea.*textarea>)/sg) {
    my $match = $&; 
    my $varmatch;
    print "match: before ..... $match\n";
    if( $match =~ m/(<%=.*?%>)/sg){

        $varmatch = $1;
        print "varmatch:  $varmatch\n";
        pos $match ;
        #cut var tag
        $match=~ s/$varmatch//g;
        print "match: after  .... $match\n";
        $match=~ s/textarea/testinsert$varmatch/g;
        print "match: after testinsert  .... $match\n";
    }
}

[download]
Gives output:
match: before ..... <textarea class="FolderTxtArea" name="blah"><%=foo
+::doSomething%></textarea>
varmatch:  <%=foo::doSomething%>
match: after  .... <textarea class="FolderTxtArea" name="blah"></texta
+rea>
match: after testinsert  .... <testinsert<%=foo::doSomething%> class="
+FolderTxtArea" name="blah"></testinsert<%=foo::doSomething%>>

[download]
Are you sure you are looking at the output from your latest run?

In reply to Re: can't get $& to remove value in a substitution by roik
in thread can't get $& to remove value in a substitution by zusuki-san

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