3.3. Working with the matching operator

Table 3.3 shows the major syntax variations for the matching operator, which provides the foundation for Perl’s pattern-matching capabilities.

Table 3.3. Matching operator syntax

Form[a]	Meaning	Explanation
/RE/	Match against $_	Uses default “/” delimiters and the default target of $_
m:RE:	Match against $_	Uses custom “:” delimiters and the default target of $_
string =~ /RE/	Match against string	Uses default “/” delimiters and the target of string
string =~ m:RE:	Match against string	Uses custom “:” delimiters and the target of string

^[a] RE is a placeholder for the regex of interest, and the implicit $_ or explicit string is the target for the match, which provides the data for the matching operation.