devxlogo

Avoid Using Perl’s Default Delimiter / in Paths and URLs

Avoid Using Perl’s Default Delimiter / in Paths and URLs

Perl’s regular expression substitution function is useful for CGI string manipulation, but using the default delimiter / can lead to leaning-toothpick syndrome if you use it for paths or URLs. Consider this line:

 s/http://myURL/files//http://myURL/newFiles//

Each / must be escaped, leading to an unreadable regular expression. But you don’t need to use the default delimiter; in fact, you can use any character you want.

 s!http://myURL/files/!http://myURL/newFiles/!

Using ! as a delimiter makes this string substitution much easier to read, and much more likely to work the first time around.

devxblackblue

About Our Editorial Process

At DevX, we’re dedicated to tech entrepreneurship. Our team closely follows industry shifts, new products, AI breakthroughs, technology trends, and funding announcements. Articles undergo thorough editing to ensure accuracy and clarity, reflecting DevX’s style and supporting entrepreneurs in the tech sphere.

See our full editorial policy.

About Our Journalist