The syntax for a scalar variable is $variable_name.

A variable name is set up and addressed in

the same way as Bourne shell variables. To assign values to a scalar, you use statements like
these:
$name="Kamran";
$number=100;
$phone_Number='5551232';

A variable in Perl is evaluated at runtime to derive a value that is one of the following: a string, a
number, or a pointer to scalar. (To see the use of pointers and references, refer to Chapter 3,
"References.")
To print out the value of a variable, you use a print statement. Therefore, to print the value of
$name, you would make the following call:
print$name;

The value of $name is printed to the screen. Perl scripts "expect" input from a standard input (the
keyboard) and to write to the standard output. Of course, you can also use the print statement to
print the values of special variables that are built into Perl.

Special Variables
Table 2.1 lists the special variables in Perl. The first column contains the variable, and the second
contains a verbose name that you can use to make the code readable. The third column in the
table describes the contents of each variable.
You can use the verbose names (in column 2) by including the following line in the beginning of
your code:
useEnglish;

This statement will let you use the English.pm module in your code. (I cover the use of modules
in Chapter 4, "Introduction to Perl Modules.") Not all Perl variables have an equivalent name in
the English.pm module. The entry "n/a" in the second column indicates that there is not an
English name for the variable.
Table 2.1. Special variables in Perl.
Variable

English Name

Description

$_

$ARG

The default input and

output pattern searching
space

$1$9

n/a

The subpattern from the

last set of parentheses in a
pattern match

$&

$MATch

The last pattern matched

(RO)

$`

$PREMATch

The string preceding a

pattern match (RO)

$POSTMATch

The string following a

pattern match (RO)

$+

$LAST_PAREN_MATch

The last bracket matched

in a pattern (RO)

$*

$MULTILINE_MATchING

Set to 1 to enable multiline matching; set to 0 by

default

$.

$INPUT_LINE_NUMBER

The current input line

number; reset on close()
call only

$/

$INPUT_RECORD_SEPARATOR

The newline by default

$|

$AUTO_FLUSH

If set to 1, forces a flush

on every write or print;
0 by default

$,

$OUTPUT_FIELD_SEPARATOR

Specifies what is printed

between fields

$\

$INPUT_RECORD_SEPARATOR

The output record

separator for the print
operator

$"

$LIST_SEPARATOR

The separator for elements

within a list

$;

$SUBSCRIPT_SEPARATOR

The character for

multidimensional array

emulation
$#

$FORMAT

Output format for printed

numbers

$%

$FORMAT_PAGE_NUMBER

The current page number

$=

$FORMAT_LINES_PER_PAGE

The number of lines per

page

$FORMAT_LINES_LEFT

The number of lines still

left to draw on the page

$~

$FORMAT_NAME

The name of the current

format being used

$^

$FORMAT_TOP_NAME

The name of the current

top-of-page format

$:

$FORMAT_LINE_BREAK_chARACTERS

The set of characters after

which a string can be
broken up to fill with
continuation characters