readline - fetch a record from a file

NAME

readline - fetch a record from a file


SYNOPSIS

readline EXPR


DESCRIPTION

Reads from the filehandle whose typeglob is contained in EXPR. In scalar context, each call reads and returns the next line, until end-of-file is reached, whereupon the subsequent call returns undef. In list context, reads until end-of-file is reached and returns a list of lines. Note that the notion of ``line'' used here is however you may have defined it with $/ or $INPUT_RECORD_SEPARATOR). See $/ in the perlvar manpage.

When $/ is set to undef, when readline() is in scalar context (i.e. file slurp mode), and when an empty file is read, it returns '' the first time, followed by undef subsequently.

This is the internal function implementing the <EXPR> operator, but you can use it directly. The <EXPR> operator is discussed in more detail in I/O Operators in the perlop manpage.

    $line = <STDIN>;
    $line = readline(*STDIN);           # same thing

 readline - fetch a record from a file