No the do not perform the same function. Your re method functions as a gaurd clause allowing for a) early failure and b) avoiding assignment on failure. The split version performs the assignment even if the strings do not match the pattern. If your data is always going to pass the re, then the split version would be the faster version (and even better than your split version would be  split " ", $foo). Care to show your benchmark where the re version was 90% faster?