Use a hash and a loop:

my %subs = (
    tag1 => 'subst1',
    tag2 => 'subst2',
    ...
);

$str =~ s[$_][$subs{$_}] for keys %subs;
[download]

Depending upon the nature of the text involved, you may need to quotemeta some stuff, but that's the basic idea.

Note however, this is only slightly more compact; it will not be quicker or much easier to maintain.

To avoid the quotemeta problem and allow a bit more flexibility, it might make sense to use qr// as described in Regexp Quote Like Operators.

my %subs = (
    qr/tag1/ => 'subst1',
    qr/tag2/ => 'subst2',
    ...
);

$str =~ s[$_][$subs{$_}] for keys %subs;
[download]

#11929 First ask yourself `How would I do this without a computer?' Then have the computer do it the same way.

That would probably work, but I'm never quite sure that there is any benefit to pre-compiling a regex with qr// if you are going to then interpolate that into the m// or s/// construct to use it.

With m//, you can do: my $re = qr/.../; $string =~ $re; thus avoiding re-interpolating the compiled regex, but there is no way to do that with s///.

---

With the rise and rise of 'Social' network sites: 'Computers are making people easier to use everyday'

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.

The start of some sanity?

You could alias $_ to $str, which would allow you to at least get rid of the repetitive "$str =~ " part in every line.

Other than that, you do have to declare somehow what to replace with what, and this get can hardly get any more compact than a list of s/.../.../ (unless there is some pattern or regularity in the tag-substitution pairs that would allow you generate them automatically — but I suppose the ones given are not the real ones).

for ($str) {
    s/tag1/subst1/;
    s/tag2/subst2/;
    s/tag3/subst3/;
    ...
    s/tag49/subst49/;
}
[download]

Use a hash:

my %subs = (
    tag1 => 'subst1',
    tag2 => 'subst2',
    ...
);

my $pattern = join('|', keys %subs);
$str =~ s/($pattern)/$subs{$1}/g;
[download]

It would be a good idea to simplify $pattern if there is some common pattern to the tags.

By the way, you need to use the g modifier to replace all occurrences of each tag if it can occur more than once in the string, also if you are substituting each tag separately.

Your words have been useful.

Wishing all the very best,
humbly and thankfully,
silentius