-w will help you understand what's going on.

$ perl -we "print (localtime(time))[2]"
print (...) interpreted as function at -e line 1.
syntax error at -e line 1, near ")["
Execution of -e aborted due to compilation errors.

[download]

use diagnostics is even better.

$ perl -Mdiagnostics -we "print (localtime(time))[2]"
print (...) interpreted as function at -e line 1 (#1)
    (W syntax) You've run afoul of the rule that says that any list op
+erator
    followed by parentheses turns into a function, with all the list
    operators arguments found inside the parentheses.  See
    perlop/Terms and List Operators (Leftward).

[download]

So stop the parentheses looking like a function.

$ perl -e "print +(localtime(time))[2]"
16

[download]
--
<http://dave.org.uk>

"The first rule of Perl club is you do not talk about Perl club."
-- Chip Salzenberg

In reply to Re^3: array element return syntax by davorg
in thread array element return syntax by Lyndley

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