Hello Louis, >my $a = /^dat.*\n #match 1st line > (?s) #turn on . matching any char > (.*?3)/x; #should match data 2 and 3 >print 'result: ',$a,', $1=',$1||'no match',"\n"; >1; >__END__ > >result: 1, $1=head 3 > >I thought that '^dat.*\n' would match only the 1st line 'data 1', because '.' doesn't >match a new line. > >Then '(?s)' should make '.' match any char, including new line. >Then '(.*?3)' should match lines 'data 2' and 'data 3'.
I think here is your misinterpretation. Specifying (?s) within a regex is the same as putting it at the end, i.e. /regex/s. That's why (?s) changes \n interpretation fully in your example. I would split the task in two or go through the string line by line. HTH, Axel
