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Perl 5 version 16.0 documentation
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Perl functions A-Z | Perl functions by category | The 'perlfunc' manpage

- print FILEHANDLE LIST

- print FILEHANDLE
- print LIST
- print

  Prints a string or a list of strings. Returns true if successful. FILEHANDLE may be a scalar variable containing the name of or a reference to the filehandle, thus introducing one level of indirection. (NOTE: If FILEHANDLE is a variable and the next token is a term, it may be misinterpreted as an operator unless you interpose a `+` or put parentheses around the arguments.) If FILEHANDLE is omitted, prints to the last selected (see select) output handle. If LIST is omitted, prints `$_` to the currently selected output handle. To use FILEHANDLE alone to print the content of `$_` to it, you must use a real filehandle like `FH` , not an indirect one like `$fh` . To set the default output handle to something other than STDOUT, use the select operation.

  The current value of `$,` (if any) is printed between each LIST item. The current value of `$\` (if any) is printed after the entire LIST has been printed. Because print takes a LIST, anything in the LIST is evaluated in list context, including any subroutines whose return lists you pass to `print`. Be careful not to follow the print keyword with a left parenthesis unless you want the corresponding right parenthesis to terminate the arguments to the print; put parentheses around all arguments (or interpose a `+` , but that doesn't look as good).

  If you're storing handles in an array or hash, or in general whenever you're using any expression more complex than a bareword handle or a plain, unsubscripted scalar variable to retrieve it, you will have to use a block returning the filehandle value instead, in which case the LIST may not be omitted:

          print { $files[$i] } "stuff\n";    print { $OK ? STDOUT : STDERR } "stuff\n";

  Printing to a closed pipe or socket will generate a SIGPIPE signal. See perlipc for more on signal handling.