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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>What is the idiomatic way to extract
first/last item after split?<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>More interestingly, why #2 doesn’t
work, while #3 does?<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>For example:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:navy'>$path = `cd`;<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:navy'># 1. working, but
I’ve been told not very efficient:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:navy'>$base = (split
/\\/, $path)[-1];<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:navy'># 2. this isn’t
working for me. Why???<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:navy'>$base = pop split
/\\/, $path;<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:navy'># 3. This is
similar to above, but does work.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:navy'>@tmp = split
/\\/, $path;<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:navy'>$base = pop @tmp;<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:navy'># 4. Work, but I believe
slower:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:navy'>($base) = $path
=~ /.*\\([^\\])/;<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><i><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy;font-weight:bold;
font-style:italic'> </span></font></i></b><font size=2 color=navy
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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