${^MATCH} regex special variable(s) and /p regex modifier

[AnomalousMonk]

I'm confused about the behavior of the special match variables  ${^PREMATCH} ${^MATCH} ${^POSTMATCH} (see perlvar) in relation to the /p regex modifier, all available in 5.10+. (Note that these are not, AFAIU, the same as the  $PREMATCH $MATCH $POSTMATCH variables (again, perlvar), which are just the  use English; equivalents of the  $` $& $' variables, the notorious '$& and friends'.)

The documentation leads me to believe that  ${^MATCH} et al are only valid after a match that uses the /p regex modifier, but the code below produces the same output with or without the /p modifier. What gives?

>perl -wMstrict -le
"my $s = '----abc123++++';
 $s =~ m{ ([[:alpha:]]+) (\d+) }xms;
 print qq{'${^PREMATCH}' '${^MATCH}' '${^POSTMATCH}' ($1) ($2)};
"
'----' 'abc123' '++++' (abc) (123)

[toolic]

Here is a quote from perlvar:

This is similar to $& ($MATCH ) except that it does not incur the performance penalty associated with that variable, and is only guaranteed to return a defined value when the pattern was compiled or executed with the /p modifier.

I think the key word there is "guaranteed". It seems like the variable gets defined even if /p is not used, although it is not explicitly mentioned. To be safe, I would always use /p when you want those variables.

If you feel the docs should be modified, submit a patch via perlbug.

[JavaFan]

That's because you are using parenthesis. Using parens mays you're paying "the penalty" (for that match) anyway. So, you get ${^PREMATCH}, ${^MATCH}, and ${^POSTMATCH} for "free".

Try running your match without parens, and see the difference.

[lidden]

Try running your match without parens, and see the difference.

I tried without parens and saw no difference. I tried with perl 5.14.1 and 5.12.2.

[JavaFan]

With 5.12.2:

$ perl -wE 'my $s = "foo bar"; $s =~ /(bar)/; say ${^PREMATCH}'
foo 
$ perl -wE 'my $s = "foo bar"; $s =~ /bar/; say ${^PREMATCH}'
Use of uninitialized value $^PREMATCH in say at -e line 1.

$

Note also the difference in what's going on:

$ perl -Mre=debug -wE 'my $s = "foo bar"; $s =~ /bar/;'
Compiling REx "bar"
Final program:
   1: EXACT <bar> (3)
   3: END (0)
anchored "bar" at 0 (checking anchored isall) minlen 3 
Guessing start of match in sv for REx "bar" against "foo bar"
Found anchored substr "bar" at offset 4...
Starting position does not contradict /^/m...
Guessed: match at offset 4
Freeing REx: "bar"
$ perl -Mre=debug -wE 'my $s = "foo bar"; $s =~ /(bar)/;'
Compiling REx "(bar)"
Final program:
   1: OPEN1 (3)
   3:   EXACT <bar> (5)
   5: CLOSE1 (7)
   7: END (0)
anchored "bar" at 0 (checking anchored) minlen 3 
Guessing start of match in sv for REx "(bar)" against "foo bar"
Found anchored substr "bar" at offset 4...
Starting position does not contradict /^/m...
Guessed: match at offset 4
Matching REx "(bar)" against "bar"
   4 <foo > <bar>            |  1:OPEN1(3)
   4 <foo > <bar>            |  3:EXACT <bar>(5)
   7 <foo bar> <>            |  5:CLOSE1(7)
   7 <foo bar> <>            |  7:END(0)
Match successful!
Freeing REx: "(bar)"
$

[AnomalousMonk]

Following the replies of JavaFan and lidden, I tried matching against the string 'foo 123 bar' in Strawberries 5.10.1 and 5.12.3. I found that without the /p modifier  /(123)/ and  /\d+/ 'correctly' assigned to all the  ${^MATCH} variables and  /123/ did not. (All these regexes assign as expected when the /p modifier is used.)

I guess the take-away lesson here is toolic's emphasis on the word 'guaranteed' in the documentation: it really does mean what it says. I'm of two minds about submitting a patch request for the docs. On one hand, the current documentation states simply and clearly what is guaranteed and the conditions of the guarantee. On the other hand, I have a compulsion to warn that without the protection of the /p modifier, there are situations in which the  ${^MATCH} variables may seem to work properly without, in fact, doing so reliably; i.e., one may spend the day ambling very enjoyably through the jungle, then suddenly find oneself standing in a ten foot deep hole with a five foot bamboo stake up a very sensitive place. Must think on this.