Removing the first character from a variable

Kiko has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: Removing the first character from a variable by wog (Curate) on Jun 09, 2001 at 01:03 UTC
You can use substr: `$ID = substr $ID, 1;` [download]	[reply] [d/l]
(boo)Re: Removing the first character from a variable by boo_radley (Parson) on Jun 09, 2001 at 01:14 UTC
Timtowdi. `$foo= "string"; (undef, $foo)=split //,$foo,2; print $foo;` [download] or `$foo= "string"; ($foo)=$foo=~/.(.)/s; print $foo;` [download] update* changed to add /s in second example after bickering senslessly with wog.	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re: Removing the first character from a variable by Daddio (Chaplain) on Jun 09, 2001 at 01:24 UTC
AYAWTDI `$ID =~ s/.(.*)/$1/;` [download] D a d d i o	[reply] [d/l]
Re: Removing the first character from a variable by Abigail (Deacon) on Jun 09, 2001 at 01:52 UTC
Eh, why the `(.*)` and the `$1`? No need to say "replace the first character and the rest by the rest". "replace the first character by nothing" is far more efficient. And we can do so in two ways: `$ID =~ s/.//s; # No s modifier needed if the first char won't be + a newline` [download] or `substr ($ID, 0, 1) = ""; # Or substr $ID, 0, 1, "";` [download] Of course, there are sillier ways: `$ID = reverse $ID; chop $ID; $ID = reverse $ID;` [download] or `$ID =~ /./s; $ID = $';` [download] -- Abigail	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re: Re: Removing the first character from a variable by Elgon (Curate) on Jun 09, 2001 at 08:21 UTC
I was thinking to chop off the first character... `$id=~s/^(.)//;` [download] and if you want to save it afterwards... `$chopped_character = $1;` NB: Regexps are not my strongest point, so post a reply if I am talking crap, preferably with an explanation of why! "Violence is the first resort of those faced with yet another BSOD." --/me	[reply] [d/l] [select]