Re: Returning lists vs arrays

--Reposting my answer from the duplicated node--

I think you're confused by the distinction between arrays and lists. Lists are a bunch of values, while arrays are variables that hold values. See perlfaq4.

Outside your subroutine, the distinction doesn't matter. It will all look like arrays:

sub return_array {
   my @a = (0, 1, 2, 3);
   return @a;
}
sub return_list {
   return (0, 1, 2, 3);
}

my @array1 = return_array();
my @array2 = return_list();
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Re: Re: Returning lists vs arrays by ihb (Deacon) on Jan 20, 2003 at 16:54 UTC
Outside your subroutine, the distinction doesn't matter. It does, depending on context. See Context aware functions - best practices? for an example of this. It will all look like arrays (Assuming list context.) Make that "lists" instead. A bunch of values are returned, and as you say yourself, that's a list. If you really want to return a list but the whole list is stored in an array you can do `return @stuff[0..$#stuff];` `ihb`	[reply] [d/l] [select]

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Re: Re: Returning lists vs arrays
by ihb (Deacon) on Jan 20, 2003 at 16:54 UTC

Outside your subroutine, the distinction doesn't matter.

It does, depending on context. See Context aware functions - best practices? for an example of this.

It will all look like arrays

(Assuming list context.) Make that "lists" instead. A bunch of values are returned, and as you say yourself, that's a list.

If you really want to return a list but the whole list is stored in an array you can do return @stuff[0..$#stuff];

ihb

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