The @+ and @- variables allow you to reference capture buffers by index rather by named variables (e.g. substr($var, $-[2], $+[2] - $-[2]) rather than $2). Similarly %+ allows access to named captures by "index" (the name). 

$ perl5.10.0 -E '$_="ab cd ef gh";m/(?<foo>\S+)\s+\S+\s+(?<bar>\S+)/; 
+for(keys %+){say "$_:\t$+{$_}"}; say "\$+: $+";'
bar:    ef
foo:    ab
$+: ef

[download]

It's not like $+ which is a special name for "whatever the last group was which matched"; $+ always going to refer to whatever the last group was which successfully matched, whereas %+ allows access to all of the named captures.

That clear things up?

Update: Oop, had @+ twice first sentence; thanks linuxer.

The cake is a lie.
The cake is a lie.
The cake is a lie.

In reply to Re: Bug in ' perldoc perlvar ' ? by Fletch
in thread Bug in ' perldoc perlvar ' ? by linuxer

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