split(/PATTERN/,EXPR,LIMIT)

     split(/PATTERN/,EXPR)

     split(/PATTERN/)

     split   Splits a  string  into  an  array  of  strings,  and
             returns  it.   (If  not in an array context, returns
             the number of fields found and splits  into  the  @_
             array.   (In  an  array  context,  you can force the
             split into @_ by using ?? as the pattern delimiters,
             but  it still returns the array value.))  If EXPR is
             omitted, splits the $_ string.  If PATTERN  is  also
             omitted,  splits  on  whitespace (/[ \t\n]+/).  Any-
             thing matching PATTERN is taken to  be  a  delimiter
             separating the fields.  (Note that the delimiter may
             be longer than one character.)  If LIMIT  is  speci-
             fied,  splits  into  no  more  than that many fields
             (though it may  split  into  fewer).   If  LIMIT  is
             unspecified,   trailing  null  fields  are  stripped
             (which potential users of pop()  would  do  well  to
             remember).   A pattern matching the null string (not
             to be confused with a null pattern //, which is just
             one  member  of  the set of patterns matching a null
             string) will split the value of EXPR  into  separate
             characters  at  each point it matches that way.  For
             example:

                  print join(':', split(/ */, 'hi there'));

             produces the output 'h:i:t:h:e:r:e'.

             The LIMIT parameter can be used to partially split a
             line

                  ($login, $passwd, $remainder) = split(/:/, $_, 3);

             (When assigning to a list, if LIMIT is omitted, perl
             supplies a LIMIT one larger than the number of vari-
             ables in the list, to avoid unnecessary  work.   For
             the  list  above LIMIT would have been 4 by default.
             In time critical applications it behooves you not to
             split into more fields than you really need.)

             If  the  PATTERN  contains  parentheses,  additional
             array  elements  are created from each matching sub-
             string in the delimiter.

                  split(/([,-])/,"1-10,20");

             produces the array value

                  (1,'-',10,',',20)

             The  pattern  /PATTERN/  may  be  replaced  with  an
             expression to specify patterns that vary at runtime.
             (To  do   runtime   compilation   only   once,   use
             /$variable/o.)   As  a  special  case,  specifying a
             space (' ') will split on white space just as  split
             with no arguments does, but leading white space does
             NOT produce a null first  field.   Thus,  split(' ')
             can  be  used  to  emulate  awk's  default behavior,
             whereas split(/ /) will give you as many  null  ini-
             tial fields as there are leading spaces.

             Example:

                  open(passwd, '/etc/passwd');
                  while (<passwd>) {
                       ($login, $passwd, $uid, $gid, $gcos, $home, $shell)
                            = split(/:/);
                       ...
                  }

             (Note that $shell above will still have a newline on
             it.  See chop().)  See also join.