use Regexp::Common 'pattern';

pattern name   => ['squish'],
        create => '\W+';


my $name = "Rob J Anderson";
my $squished_name;

$squished_name = $RE{squish}->subs($name);

# Following only needed because of /g:

$squished_name = $RE{squish}->subs($squished_name) while
                 $RE{squish}->matches($squished_name);