How can I start an interactive console for Perl?

How can I start an interactive console for Perl, similar to the irb command for Ruby or python for Python?

Solution 1:

You can use the perl debugger on a trivial program, like so:

perl -de1

Alternatively there's Alexis Sukrieh's Perl Console application, but I haven't used it.

Solution 2:

Not only did Matt Trout write an article about a REPL, he actually wrote one - Devel::REPL

I've used it a bit and it works fairly well, and it's under active development.

BTW, I have no idea why someone modded down the person who mentioned using "perl -e" from the console. This isn't really a REPL, true, but it's fantastically useful, and I use it all the time.

Solution 3:

I wrote a script I call "psh":

#! /usr/bin/perl

while (<>) {
  chomp;
  my $result = eval;
  print "$_ = $result\n";
}

Whatever you type in, it evaluates in Perl:

> gmtime(2**30)
gmtime(2**30) = Sat Jan 10 13:37:04 2004

> $x = 'foo'
$x = 'foo' = foo

> $x =~ s/o/a/g
$x =~ s/o/a/g = 2

> $x
$x = faa