2009-02-02 06:12:57,500 dates processed: 2009-01-31, 2009-01-29, 2009-01-30
2009-02-18 06:03:47,713 dates processed: 2009-02-16, 2009-02-17
2009-02-19 05:58:29,138 dates processed: 2009-02-18

##</code><code>##

@res =$_ =~/(\d{4}-\d\d-\d\d)/g
# gets them all but also from lines without 'dates processed'

@res = $_ =~/(\d{4}-\d\d-\d\d).*dates processed: (\d{4}-\d\d-\d\d,? ?)*/g
# only returns first of trailing list

@res = $_ =~/(\d{4}-\d\d-\d\d).*dates processed: ((\d{4}-\d\d-\d\d)*)/
# gets the right number of results but the final list all the same value!


##</code><code>##

@res = $_ =~/(\d{4}-\d\d-\d\d).*dates processed: ((\d{4}-\d\d-\d\d,? ?)*)
# almost gets it but now have one too many results in the tail 
# due to the nested braces