If my real problem were as easy as my toy script, I'd certainly follow one of your above solutions. However, it's more like this: 
my (
      $field1,
      $field2,
      #...
      $field25,
      @field26[0..25],
      $field27,
      $field28,
      #...
   ) = split(/\|/);

[download]
This way, it makes it obvious that I'm grabbing a fixed number from the split return. I appreciate the terseness in your solutions, though. Now that I know that it was a problem with my test data and not my approach, I'll be using something like what I originally posted.

thor

Feel the white light, the light within
Be your own disciple, fan the sparks of will
For all of us waiting, your kingdom will come

In reply to Re^2: Is there any way to make an array non-greedy? by thor
in thread Is there any way to make an array non-greedy? by thor

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