You're setting a local value to $/ only inside the read loop. That is, the value gets set after the first record is read. At the end of the loop, it's set back to its default value ("\n"), and the next record is read with that value. Then inside the loop, you set the local value again. Try it this way: 

sub slurpie {
    local $/ = '';   # paragraph mode
    while (<DATA>) {
        next unless /^\w\w.+(\w\w).+(\d+).+(\w\w)/sg;  #should only ma
+tch first paragraph
        print "$_\n";
    }
}

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In reply to Re^4: $/ question by kyle
in thread $/ question by convenientstore

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