That's just ugly.

Ugly? It's true that one doesn't automatically get a printout of the last expression evaluated (one has to ask for it with p or x or print, etc.), but getting readline/history, trace mode option, and the joy of x alone makes this well worth it, IMO.

BTW, I'm not sure what you had intended with

perl -wlne'print eval//$@//""'
[download]

but it bombs:

% perl -wlne 'print eval//$@//""'
Warning: Use of "eval" without parentheses is ambiguous at -e line 1.
Scalar found where operator expected at -e line 1, near "//$@"
        (Missing operator before $@?)
syntax error at -e line 1, near "//$@"
Search pattern not terminated at -e line 1.
[download]

the lowliest monk