String handeling

[Guest_imported]

How can I make an test on the first character in a string. I want to test if the string starts with an a for excample.

 

[sackyhack]

Either of these would do it. $string is the string you are testing...

$string =~ /^a/ # regular expression

substr($string, 0, 1) eq 'a' # substring containing first character

 

[tsdragon]

Or you could use the alternate "start of string" assertion:

if ( $string =~ /\Aa/ )

I prefer to use \A instead of ^ (and \Z instead of $) because they're easier to remember and look more like what they do. Just a matter of preference.
Tracy Dryden
tracy@bydisn.com

Meddle not in the affairs of dragons,
For you are crunchy, and good with mustard.