s/// usually works from the top, you must be doing to change that. 
        $DataToParse =~ s/(.+)\sELEMENT\s(.+?)\s\(Item := \"$item\".+?
+CatalogNumber := \"$catNum.+?END_ELEMENT/$1 ***** Found $2\'s $catNum
+ $item. (counter: $counter) *****$3/s;

[download]
Ah, yes. Drop the useless initial subpattern (.+) (you only reproduce what it captures anyway) and you'll be much closer to home. Capturing the rest of the string after what you care for, is unnecessary too, for the same reason.

A regex doesn't have to match a whole string, you know. 

        $DataToParse =~ s/\sELEMENT\s(.+?)\s\(Item := \"$item\".+?Cata
+logNumber := \"$catNum.+?END_ELEMENT/ ***** Found $1\'s $catNum $item
+. (counter: $counter) *****/s;

[download]

In reply to Re: can I make my regex match first pattern instead of last? by bart
in thread can I make my regex match first pattern instead of last? by kleucht

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