Here docs throwing syntax error - can't find string terminator

Popcorn Dave has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

Fellow monks,

I'm having an issue with here docs, and I'm sure it's something simple that I'm overlooking but it's annoying me. Given this code snippet from Merlyn's website(Jan 97 column):

use strict;

my $stuff = join(":", <<END =~ /(.+)/g);
        hi
        there
        this\tis\ta\ttest
        of the best!
        END
[download]

and this code example from CGI::AJAX

sub Show_HTML {
    my $html = <<EOHTML;
    <HTML>
    <BODY>
      Enter something: 
        <input type="text" name="val1" id="val1"
         onkeyup="exported_func( ['val1'], ['resultdiv'] );">
      <br>
      <div id="resultdiv"></div>
    </BODY>
    </HTML>
  EOHTML
[download]

They're both failing with the error: Can't find string terminator anywhere before EOF, but obviously both string terminators are there.

Perl version:v5.8.8 built for MSWin32-x86-multi-thread (with 33 registered patches, see perl -V for more detail)

Am I just missing something obvious here?

Thanks in advance!

Revolution. Today, 3 O'Clock. Meet behind the monkey bars.

I would love to change the world, but they won't give me the source code

Comment on Here docs throwing syntax error - can't find string terminator Select or Download Code

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: Here docs throwing syntax error - can't find string terminator by shmem (Chancellor) on May 29, 2007 at 22:17 UTC
For here-doc terminators, ~~leading blanks are~~ whitespace is meaningful. Insert the same amount of blanks in your ~~print statement~~ leading delimiter, e.g. `use strict; my $stuff = join(":", <<" END" =~ /(.+)/g); hi there this\tis\ta\ttest of the best! END` [download] or (better) remove the leading blanks from the end token. update: ~~strikes~~ for better wording, and changed `' END'` to `" END"`. Well... --shmem _($_=" "x(1<<5)."?\n".q·/)Oo. G°\ / /\_¯/(q / ---------------------------- \__(m.====·.(_("always off the crowd"))."· ");sub _{s./.($e="'Itrs `mnsgdq Gdbj O`qkdq")=~y/"-y/#-z/;$e.e && print}	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^2: Here docs throwing syntax error - can't find string terminator by ikegami (Patriarch) on May 30, 2007 at 16:05 UTC
You used `'END'` where you should have used `"END"`. `print <<END, <<'END', <<"END"; abc\tdef END abc\tdef END abc\tdef END` [download] outputs `abc def abc\tdef abc def` [download] `<<END` is equivalent to `<<"END"` and not equivalent to `<<'END'`, so the OP needs `<<" END"` rather than `<<' END'`.	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re: Here docs throwing syntax error - can't find string terminator by jdporter (Paladin) on May 29, 2007 at 23:45 UTC
it's a FFAQ: Why don't my <<HERE documents work?	[reply]
Re: Here docs throwing syntax error - can't find string terminator by FunkyMonk (Chancellor) on May 29, 2007 at 22:21 UTC
Get rid of the whitespace before your end marker. ie `my $stuff = join(":", <<END =~ /(.+)/g); hi there this\tis\ta\ttest of the best! END` [download] Works fine	[reply] [d/l]
Re: Here docs throwing syntax error - can't find string terminator by jZed (Prior) on May 29, 2007 at 22:18 UTC
You can't have whitespace in front of the here-doc ending marker. update : unless you do as shmem suggests	[reply]
Re: Here docs throwing syntax error - can't find string terminator by blazar (Canon) on May 29, 2007 at 22:55 UTC
`my $stuff = join(":", <<END =~ /(.+)/g); hi there this\tis\ta\ttest of the best! END` [download] Am I just missing something obvious here? Yep, `'END' ne ' END'`. But incidentally IIRC Perl 6 is supposed to do something smart in those cases...	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^2: Here docs throwing syntax error - can't find string terminator by Popcorn Dave (Abbot) on May 29, 2007 at 23:06 UTC
Man do I feel silly. That never even occurred to me. Thanks! Revolution. Today, 3 O'Clock. Meet behind the monkey bars. I would love to change the world, but they won't give me the source code	[reply]


No such thing as a small change
	PerlMonks