#!/usr/bin/env perl use strict; use warnings; use autodie; use Tie::File; tie my @records, 'Tie::File', 'pm_1069470.txt'; s/user={hhhfj}jshdfjhdfjh\\=/user=newvalue/ for @records; untie @records; #### $ cat pm_1069470.txt blah blah blah user={hhhfj}jshdfjhdfjh\= whatever user=something else user={hhhfj}jshdfjhdfjh\= other data $ pm_1069470.pl $ cat pm_1069470.txt blah blah blah user=newvalue whatever user=something else user=newvalue other data