#!/usr/bin/perl -w
use strict;

my $string = "Twinkle twinkle little star";

my @matches = $string =~ m/twinkle/ig;
print "Matches are: @matches\n";  # Matches are: Twinkle twinkle
print "Number of matches: ",scalar @matches,"\n"; 
print "\n";

# this is the same without creating @matches
# the () is a list and $n here is number of things
# in that list

#
# Without the intervening ()=, to force list context,
# you just get the "truthfulness" (0,1) of the match
# with this, you get the number of things in the list
# without having to create a named array (@matches)

my $n = () = $string =~ m/twinkle/ig;
print "Number of occurences = $n\n";

__END__
Matches are: Twinkle twinkle
Number of matches: 2

Number of occurences = 2