$\ = "\n"; print(my @a = reverse('hello')); # hello (order or scalars reversed) print(my $s = reverse('hello')); # olleh (order of chars reversed) print(reverse('hello')); # hello (order or scalars reversed) print(scalar(reverse('hello'))); # olleh (order of chars reversed) sub f(@) { return @_; } sub g($) { return @_; } print(f(reverse('hello')); # hello (order or scalars reversed) print(g(reverse('hello'))); # olleh (order of chars reversed)