split returns only the string segments between, but not including the matching chars. For example: 

my @list = split(/;/, 'one;two;three');
# @list is now ('one', 'two', 'three');

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Since /./ matches on any char, what you end up with is essentially emptiness. The lookahead works because it is looking ahead, not "matching" in the same sense as /./. FYI: split(q//, $string); will split the string into chars, and is a little easier to understand (and possibly faster) than using /(?=.)/.

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In reply to Re: Why does split on /./ not split the string? by radiantmatrix
in thread Why does split on /./ not split the string? by tphyahoo

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