x operator in Perl

For 2023 (and 2024 ...) - we are now fully retired from IT training.
We have made many, many friends over 25 years of teaching about Python, Tcl, Perl, PHP, Lua, Java, C and C++ - and MySQL, Linux and Solaris/SunOS too. Our training notes are now very much out of date, but due to upward compatability most of our examples remain operational and even relevant ad you are welcome to make us if them "as seen" and at your own risk.

Lisa and I (Graham) now live in what was our training centre in Melksham - happy to meet with former delegates here - but do check ahead before coming round. We are far from inactive - rather, enjoying the times that we are retired but still healthy enough in mind and body to be active!

I am also active in many other area and still look after a lot of web sites - you can find an index ((here))

x operator in Perl

So often, newcomers to programming try to use an "x" operator to multiply - and it doesn't work; they should use "*" in most languages. In Perl ... "x" means something different ... "replicate the string on the left the number of times on the right".

I've frequently been asked for a good example of where "x" is useful. Here's one - printing out the corret number of "-" signs to underline a title in a fixed width font.

print "who are you";
$name = <STDIN>;
chop $name;

print "$name\n";
print "-" x length ($name),"\n";

Further details in our Initial String Handling module

(written 2005-03-22, updated 2006-06-05)

Associated topics are indexed as below, or enter http://melksh.am/nnnn for individual articles

P205 - Perl - Initial String Handling
  [31] Here documents - (2004-08-28)
  [324] The backtick operator in Python and Perl - (2005-05-25)
  [970] String duplication - x in Perl, * in Python and Ruby - (2006-12-07)
  [987] Ruby v Perl - interpollating variables - (2006-12-15)
  [1195] Regular Express Primer - (2007-05-20)
  [1608] Underlining in Perl and Python - the x and * operator in use - (2008-04-12)
  [1849] String matching in Perl with Regular Expressions - (2008-10-20)
  [1860] Seven new intermediate Perl examples - (2008-10-30)
  [2798] Perl - skip the classics and use regular expressions - (2010-06-08)
  [2816] Intelligent Matching in Perl - (2010-06-18)
  [2832] Are you learning Perl? Some more examples for you! - (2010-06-27)
  [2963] Removing the new line with chop or chomp in Perl - what is the difference? - (2010-09-21)
  [3005] Lots of ways of doing it in Perl - printing out answers - (2010-10-19)
  [3411] Single and double quotes strings in Perl - what is the difference? - (2011-08-30)
  [3547] Using Perl to generate multiple reports from a HUGE file, efficiently - (2011-12-09)
  [3548] Dark mornings, dog update, and Python and Lua courses before Christmas - (2011-12-10)
  [3770] Sample answers to training course exercises - available on our web site - (2012-06-21)

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