Further experiments: 
#!usr/bin/perl
use strict;
use warnings;
print $0 . "\n\n";

my @var= ('now     is the time',        # space, tab between now and i
+s, 4 in entire line (3 spaces & 1 tab)
     '    for all good men',                # leading tab, no space, 4
+ in entire line (1 tab & 3 spaces)
     'to come to the aid of their     party.'      # space, tab before
+ party, 8 (7 spaces &  1 tab)
    );                                                    # Sixteen to
+tal spaces & tabs


# now using \s & /g

print "and now using \\s only, with /g modifier\n";

my $count_s = 0; 
my $linecount_s = 0;
for my $var(@var) {
    $linecount_s = scalar ( $var =~ s/\s/_/g  );
    print "\$linecount_s: $linecount_s, \$var after substitution: $var
+\n";
    $count_s += $linecount_s;
}
print "\$count_s: $count_s \n\n";



# and now using \s and \t 

print "Now, simple count (Note new array \@var1) on LEADING \\s or \\t
+:\n";

my @var1 = ('        Now is the time',        #NO leading spaces, two 
+leading tabs
        ' for all men to come to the',        #one leading space
        '     of their party.'                #5 leading spaces 
    );

my $matchcount = 0;
for my $var1(@var1) {
    if ( $var1 =~ /^(\s*)/ && length($1) ) {
        $matchcount += length($1);
    }
}
print "Total \$matchcount: $matchcount (of tabs and spaces)";

__END__

=head OUTPUT from countspaces2.pl (initially using the same @var as in
+ the previous node)

and now using \s only, with /g modifier
$linecount_s: 4, $var after substitution: now__is_the_time
$linecount_s: 4, $var after substitution: _for_all_good_men
$linecount_s: 8, $var after substitution: to_come_to_the_aid_of_their_
+_party.
$count_s: 16
                # Contrast the result from countspaces.pl (previous no
+de)
                # Correct count and "_" replaced each "\t"


Now, simple count (Note new array @var1) on LEADING \s or \t:
Total $matchcount: 8 (of tabs and spaces)
                               # Correct

=cut

[download]

In reply to Re^2: counting leading white spaces by ww
in thread counting leading white spaces by Spooky

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