C:\WINDOWS\system32>perl -MDevel::Peek=Dump -le " $a = qq(3.14%); Dump $a; $b = qq(2.718%); Dump $b; print $a <=> $b; Dump $a; Dump $b" SV = PV(0x1daf58) at 0x44d2660 REFCNT = 1 FLAGS = (POK,IsCOW,pPOK) PV = 0x44ebf28 "3.14%"\0 CUR = 5 LEN = 10 COW_REFCNT = 1 SV = PV(0x1dafb8) at 0x44d2300 REFCNT = 1 FLAGS = (POK,IsCOW,pPOK) PV = 0x44ebe68 "2.718%"\0 CUR = 6 LEN = 10 COW_REFCNT = 1 1 SV = PVNV(0x1d9288) at 0x44d2660 REFCNT = 1 FLAGS = (POK,IsCOW,pNOK,pPOK) IV = 0 NV = 3.14 PV = 0x44ebf28 "3.14%"\0 CUR = 5 LEN = 10 COW_REFCNT = 1 SV = PVNV(0x1d9268) at 0x44d2300 REFCNT = 1 FLAGS = (POK,IsCOW,pIOK,pNOK,pPOK) IV = 2 NV = 2.718 PV = 0x44ebe68 "2.718%"\0 CUR = 6 LEN = 10 COW_REFCNT = 1