Leading Spaces and split()

[Rothenmaier, Deane C.]

Greetings, O Wise Ones...

I'm trying to understand the behavior I'm getting from this code:

#!Perl
################################################################################
# PROGRAM: array_test1.pl
################################################################################

use strict;
use warnings;

my $string1 = "Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2 (build 2600) 
Hewlett-Packard";
my $string2 = "            Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2 (build 2600) 
Hewlett-Packard ";

my @ary1;
my @ary2;

@ary1 = split( " ", $string1 );

my ($win_type1, $win_ver1, $svc_pack1, $win_build1);

$win_type1 = $ary1[1];
$win_ver1 = $ary1[2];

for ($win_type1) {
   /XP/ && do {
      $svc_pack1 = $ary1[5];
      ($win_build1 = $ary1[7]) =~ s{\)}{};
      last;
   };
}

print "Current Method...\n";
print "Type: \"$win_type1\", Version: \"$win_ver1\",\n";
print "Service Pack: \"$svc_pack1\", Build: \"$win_build1\"\n\n";

my ($win_type2, $win_ver2, $svc_pack2, $win_build2);

for ($string1) {
   /XP/ && do {
      ($win_type2, $win_ver2, $svc_pack2, $win_build2) = (split( /\s+/, 
$string1 ))[1, 2, 5, 7];
      last;
   };
}

$win_build2 =~ s{\)}{};

print "Proposed Method...\n";
print "Type: \"$win_type2\", Version: \"$win_ver2\",\n";
print "Service Pack: \"$svc_pack2\", Build: \"$win_build2\"\n";



@ary1 = split( " ", $string1 );

$win_type1 = $ary1[1];
$win_ver1 = $ary1[2];

for ($win_type1) {
   /XP/ && do {
      $svc_pack1 = $ary1[5];
      ($win_build1 = $ary1[7]) =~ s{\)}{};
      last;
   };
}

print "\nFILE string:\n";
print "Current Method...\n";
print "Type: \"$win_type1\", Version: \"$win_ver1\",\n";
print "Service Pack: \"$svc_pack1\", Build: \"$win_build1\"\n\n";

for ($string2) {
   /XP/ && do {
      ($win_type2, $win_ver2, $svc_pack2, $win_build2) = (split( /\s+/, 
$string2 ))[1, 2, 5, 7];
      last;
   };
}

$win_build2 =~ s{\)}{};

print "Proposed Method...\n";
print "Type: \"$win_type2\", Version: \"$win_ver2\",\n";
print "Service Pack: \"$svc_pack2\", Build: \"$win_build2\"\n";


################################################################################
# PROGRAM OUTPUT:
################################################################################

Current Method...
Type: "XP", Version: "Professional",
Service Pack: "2", Build: "2600"

Proposed Method...
Type: "XP", Version: "Professional",
Service Pack: "2", Build: "2600"

FILE string:
Current Method...
Type: "XP", Version: "Professional",
Service Pack: "2", Build: "2600"

Proposed Method...
Type: "Windows", Version: "XP",
Service Pack: "Pack", Build: "(build"

The red text illustrates the error (if such it be?). My SWAG is that the 
"nothing" between Perl's '^' anchor and the first space in $string2 is what's 
causing the problem. Can someone confirm this? Or provide me with the correct 
answer if I'm wrong?

Thanks!

Deane Rothenmaier
Programmer/Analyst - IT-StdCfg
Walgreens Corp.
2 Overlook Point #N51022D
MS 6515
Lincolnshire, IL 60069
224-542-5150

I will make sure that my doomsday device is up to code and properly grounded. - 
Peter Anspach's list of 100 things to do when one becomes an Evil Overlord


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