First of all, you can use /x to make that wall of code a lot more readable.

Secondly, you can test the result of the match to verify that you really got 19 values out:

my $result =
(($beginning, $agency, $district, $ssn, $serv_per_m,
  $serv_per_y, $serv_per_t, $last_name, $first_name_i,
  $middle_name_i, $cover_group, $pay_code, $pay_rate,
  $earnings, $holder, $ret_percent, $surv_ben,
  $work_sch_code, $cont_amt, $cont_code, $stuff) =
  /
    (\d)      # $beginning
    (\d{4})   # $agency
    (\d{3})   # $district
    (\d{9})   # $ssn
    (\d{2})   # $serv_per_m
    (\d{2})   # $serv_per_y
    (\d)      # $serv_per_t
    (\D{10})  # $last_name
    (\D)      # $first_name_i
    (\D)      # $middle_name_i
    (\d{5})   # $cover_group
    (\d{2})   # $pay_code
    (\d{8})   # $pay_rate
    (\d{6}\D) # $earnings
    (\s{8})   # $holder
    (\d{4})   # $ret_percent
    (\d{3})   # $surv_ben
    (\d{3})   # $work_sch_code
    (\d{5}\D) # $cont_amt
    (\d{2})   # $cont_code
    (.*\s)    # $stuff
    $
  /x
);

if ($result == 21) {
  # Test the variables
} else {
  # This line did not match
}

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In reply to Re: string error message by markkawika
in thread string error message by sgmansell

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