in reply to Re: Counting the number of items returned by split without using a named array
in thread Counting the number of items returned by split without using a named array

the =()= trick can not be used with split as it is "optimized" into split /foo/, $bar, 1:: 
$ perl -MO=Deparse -e '$a = () = split'

$a = () = split(" ", $_, 1);

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Re^3: Counting the number of items returned by split without using a named array
by blazar (Canon) on May 03, 2006 at 10:50 UTC

    GAWD! Well, the fact that you write "optimized" yourself suggests that it is really an unwanted side effect of an optimization... may I push it as far as to dare to say that it is a bug?

    Well, another trick that I verified not to be flawed is:

    my $count=map $_, split;

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    of course it doesn't just taste as good... hmmm, how 'bout:

    my $count=+(split);  # ?!?

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    (also verified!)

    $ perl -lpe '$_=+(split)'
foo
1
bar baz
2

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      may I push it as far as to dare to say that it is a bug?

      well, probably not, as it is well documented on perlfunc

      A workaround is to set the limit explicetly to undef (though, it generates a warning): 

      $count = () = split ' ', $_, undef;

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      amazingly, setting it to 0 doesn't work: 

      $ perl -MO=Deparse -e '$a = () = split(" ", $_, undef)'
$a = () = split(" ", $_, undef);

$ perl -MO=Deparse -e '$a = () = split(" ", $_, 0)'
$a = () = split(" ", $_, 1);

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      A better workaround that doesn't generate warnings is to use a zero-but-true value: 

      $count = () = split ' ', $_, '0e0';

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      that is parsed as: 
      $ perl -MO=Deparse -e '$a = () = split(" ", $_, "0e0")'
$a = () = split(" ", $_, '0e0');

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      Well yeah, but aren't you just back to square one? 

      C:\test>perl -nwle"print $n = +(split)"
Use of implicit split to @_ is deprecated at -e line 1.
Name "main::n" used only once: possible typo at -e line 1.
foo
1
foo bar
2

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      Examine what is said, not who speaks -- Silence betokens consent -- Love the truth but pardon error.
      Lingua non convalesco, consenesco et abolesco. -- Rule 1 has a caveat! -- Who broke the cabal?
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        D'Oh! I forgot to -w when I tested it. It's incredible how annoying this little thing can be!!! All in all I would regard the assignment to @_ and the connected warning as spurious, since split is not called in void context. But... they're there!

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Re^3: Counting the number of items returned by split without using a named array
by Anonymous Monk on May 04, 2006 at 12:35 UTC
    pretty amazing, that "optimization": 
    $ perl -MO=Deparse -e '$a = () = split(" ",$_,0)'
$a = () = split(" ", $_, 1);

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    BUT: 
    $ perl -MO=Deparse -e '$a = () = split(" ",$_,100000)'
$a = () = split(" ", $_, 100000);

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    so it's not completely impossible to use it with split, just limited to a fixed maximum number of fields in the split.
    It's a bit unsuspected (at least for me) though, that an explicit  split(" ",$_,0) was 'optimized' also.

    Btw - just out of curiosity put this version in the benchmark also - and it's faster than the regexp version, but still slower than  $n = @{[ split ]};

    I.

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