Is Perl *that* good?

[Carl Banks]

imbosol at aerojockey.com (Carl Banks) wrote in message news:<60dfb6f6.0404281459.21675af4 at posting.google.com>...
> In file x.pl:
> 
>     sub muck() {
>       $_ = "sucker\n";
>     }
> 
>     while(<>) {
>       if (/^abc/) {
>         muck();
>         print $_;
>       }
>     }
> 
> Command line:
> 
>     echo abcdefg | perl x.pl
> 
> Output:
> 
>     sucker
> 
> 
> I had actually thought it restored $_.
> It never ceases to amaze me how bad Perl is.

Wait a minute, Perl does restore the regexp implicits.

In file x.pl:

    sub muck() {
      $_ = sucker;
      /sucker/;
    }

    while(<>) {
      if (/^abc/) {
        muck();
        print $&;
        print "\n";
      }
    }

Command line:

    echo abcdefg | perl x.pl

Output:

    abc


Perl has failed to amaze me at just how bad
it is this one time.  :)


-- 
CARL BANKS