Sorry Aristotle, but this is far from "unbreakable". In fact it doesn't even compile? You can't apply the /g modifier to qr//.

Your version

#! perl -slw use strict; require 5.008; sub make_dequote_rx { my @char = map quotemeta, @_; my $chars = join '', @char; my $rx = join( '|', map(qq[$_ (?: \\ . | $_$_ | [^$_] ) + $_], @char), qq[(?: \\ . | [^$chars] ) +], ); return qr/\G ( $rx )/x; ##You cannot apply /g to qr// } my $dequote = make_dequote_rx qw(' "); #" while( <DATA> ){ chomp; our $quoted; print; print "\t<$1>" while m[$dequote]g; print ''; } __DATA__ unquoted stuff "quoted stuff" unquoted stuff unquoted stuff 'quoted stuff' unquoted stuff unquoted stuff "quoted stuff with embedded 'alternate' quotes" unquote +d stuff unquoted stuff 'quoted stuff with embedded "alternate" quotes' unquote +d stuff unquoted stuff "quoted stuff with embedded ""like"" quotes" unquoted s +tuff unquoted stuff 'quoted stuff with embedded ''like'' quotes' unquoted s +tuff unquoted stuff "quoted stuff with embedded """"like"""" quotes" unquot +ed stuff unquoted stuff 'quoted stuff with embedded ''''like'''' quotes' unquot +ed stuff unquoted stuff "quoted 'stuff' with escaped \"like\" quotes" unquoted +stuff unquoted stuff 'quoted 'stuff' with escaped \'like\' quotes' unquoted +stuff unquoted stuff "quoted stuff with embedded ""like"" quotes and escaped + \"like\" quotes" unquoted stuff unquoted stuff 'quoted stuff with embedded ''like'' quotes and escaped + \'like\' quotes' unquoted stuff

Output

D:\Perl\test>junk unquoted stuff "quoted stuff" unquoted stuff <unquoted stuff "quoted stuff> unquoted stuff 'quoted stuff' unquoted stuff <unquoted stuff 'quoted stuff> unquoted stuff "quoted stuff with embedded 'alternate' quotes" unquote +d stuff <unquoted stuff "quoted stuff with embedded 'alternate> unquoted stuff 'quoted stuff with embedded "alternate" quotes' unquote +d stuff <unquoted stuff 'quoted stuff with embedded "alternate> unquoted stuff "quoted stuff with embedded ""like"" quotes" unquoted s +tuff <unquoted stuff "quoted stuff with embedded "> <"like"" quotes"> < unquoted stuff> unquoted stuff 'quoted stuff with embedded ''like'' quotes' unquoted s +tuff <unquoted stuff 'quoted stuff with embedded '> <'like'' quotes'> < unquoted stuff> unquoted stuff "quoted stuff with embedded """"like"""" quotes" unquot +ed stuff <unquoted stuff "quoted stuff with embedded "> <"""like"""" quotes"> < unquoted stuff> unquoted stuff 'quoted stuff with embedded ''''like'''' quotes' unquot +ed stuff <unquoted stuff 'quoted stuff with embedded '> <'''like'''' quotes'> < unquoted stuff> unquoted stuff "quoted 'stuff' with escaped \"like\" quotes" unquoted +stuff <unquoted stuff "quoted 'stuff> unquoted stuff 'quoted 'stuff' with escaped \'like\' quotes' unquoted +stuff <unquoted stuff 'quoted 'stuff> <' with escaped \'> <like\> <' quotes'> < unquoted stuff> unquoted stuff "quoted stuff with embedded ""like"" quotes and escaped + \"like\" quotes" unquoted stuff <unquoted stuff "quoted stuff with embedded "> <"like"" quotes and escaped \"> <like\> <" quotes"> < unquoted stuff> unquoted stuff 'quoted stuff with embedded ''like'' quotes and escaped + \'like\' quotes' unquoted stuff <unquoted stuff 'quoted stuff with embedded '> <'like'' quotes and escaped \'> <like\> <' quotes'> < unquoted stuff>

Examine what is said, not who speaks.
"Efficiency is intelligent laziness." -David Dunham
"When I'm working on a problem, I never think about beauty. I think only how to solve the problem. But when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong." -Richard Buckminster Fuller

In reply to Re: Re^5: Perlre interpretation required by BrowserUk
in thread Perlre interpretation required by BrowserUk

Title:
Use:  <p> text here (a paragraph) </p>
and:  <code> code here </code>
to format your post, it's "PerlMonks-approved HTML":



  • Posts are HTML formatted. Put <p> </p> tags around your paragraphs. Put <code> </code> tags around your code and data!
  • Titles consisting of a single word are discouraged, and in most cases are disallowed outright.
  • Read Where should I post X? if you're not absolutely sure you're posting in the right place.
  • Please read these before you post! —
  • Posts may use any of the Perl Monks Approved HTML tags:
    a, abbr, b, big, blockquote, br, caption, center, col, colgroup, dd, del, details, div, dl, dt, em, font, h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6, hr, i, ins, li, ol, p, pre, readmore, small, span, spoiler, strike, strong, sub, summary, sup, table, tbody, td, tfoot, th, thead, tr, tt, u, ul, wbr
  • You may need to use entities for some characters, as follows. (Exception: Within code tags, you can put the characters literally.)
            For:     Use:
    & &amp;
    < &lt;
    > &gt;
    [ &#91;
    ] &#93;
  • Link using PerlMonks shortcuts! What shortcuts can I use for linking?
  • See Writeup Formatting Tips and other pages linked from there for more info.