Why? You can still declare a variable in the head-clause!

$\="\n";
while (my $x= < 1 2 3 4 >) {     # using glob as iterator
  next if $x%2;
  print "$x: chacha" 
} continue {
  print "$x: rumba"
}
print $x;
[download]

output

1: rumba
2: chacha
2: rumba
3: rumba
4: chacha
4: rumba
Use of uninitialized value $x in print at /home/lanx/tmp/continue.pl l
+ine 8.
[download]

it's treating blocks consistently, which is a big plus in Perl! 8)

This produces identical results, and IMO is far clearer and more intuative:

$\="\n";
while (my $x= < 1 2 3 4 >) {     # using glob as iterator
  unless(  $x%2 ) {
    print "$x: chacha"
  }
  print "$x: rumba"
}
print $x;
[download]

---

Examine what is said, not who speaks -- Silence betokens consent -- Love the truth but pardon error.

"Science is about questioning the status quo. Questioning authority".

In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice.

"I'd rather go naked than blow up my ass"

> This produces identical results, and IMO is far clearer and more intuative:

Not with multiple nexts and code in between. Your more intuitive approach will result in nesting unless blocks for each next, instead of (mostly) linear code.

Cheers Rolf

Yeah, the Camel Book also uses while and continue to show how a for loop works. But still, its use seems rather limited, which is probably why it isn't used that often (the Camel Book even acknowledges that it rarely sees use).

Elda Taluta; Sarks Sark; Ark Arks