Re: Neat Debugger tricks

[VSarkiss]

Not so much a trick in the debugger, but I like to use it as an "interactive Perl shell", using a command like perl -de 1. Of course, any expression other than -e 1 will work, I'm just used to that one.

For example, if you're wondering whether a particular regex will match, or whether your split will work as you intended, but you don't want to mess around with shell quotes, just:

$ perl -de 1

Loading DB routines from perl5db.pl version 1.25
Editor support available.

Enter h or `h h' for help, or `perldoc perldebug' for more help.

main::(-e:1):   1
  DB<1> $s = '12345'

  DB<2> x split(/(?<=\d)/, $s)
0  1
1  2
2  3
3  4
4  5
  DB<3> q # yup, it works

I believe I first read about this in Effective Perl Programming.

[siracusa]

I've always used "perl -de 0", but the too-clever version used to impress or confuse people is "perl -demo" :)

[Aristotle]

I like perl -deal. Or, since we’re on PerlMonks, maybe perl -deacon?

(Another classic, though it has nothing to do with the debugger, is perl -please as a fun if expensive replacement for cat.)

[QM]

Then I suppose Grandmother would like perl -dearie ???

And those bioperl folks would choose perl -deoxyribonucleic acid ?

And the anti-DRM crowd would go for perl -decss ??

Archeologists: perl -decrypt

And when everyone is tired of this, I'll be asked to perl -desist ;)