grouping in pack/unpack

Message-ID: <20020221060614.A29836@math.ohio-state.edu>

p4raw-id: //depot/perl@14815

1 files changed, 11 insertions, 4 deletions

diff --git a/pod/perlfunc.pod b/pod/perlfunc.pod
index ea196c27c0..56ad58f474 100644
--- a/pod/perlfunc.pod
+++ b/pod/perlfunc.pod
@@ -3104,9 +3104,8 @@ the converted values.  Typically, each converted value looks
 like its machine-level representation.  For example, on 32-bit machines
 a converted integer may be represented by a sequence of 4 bytes.
 
-The TEMPLATE is a
-sequence of characters that give the order and type of values, as
-follows:
+The TEMPLATE is a sequence of characters that give the order and type
+of values, as follows:
 
     a	A string with arbitrary binary data, will be null padded.
     A	A text (ASCII) string, will be space padded.
@@ -3170,6 +3169,7 @@ follows:
     x	A null byte.
     X	Back up a byte.
     @	Null fill to absolute position.
+    (	Beginning of a ()-group.
 
 The following rules apply:
 
@@ -3183,7 +3183,8 @@ C<H>, and C<P> the pack function will gobble up that many values from
 the LIST.  A C<*> for the repeat count means to use however many items are
 left, except for C<@>, C<x>, C<X>, where it is equivalent
 to C<0>, and C<u>, where it is equivalent to 1 (or 45, what is the
-same).
+same).  A numeric repeat count may optionally be enclosed in brackets, as in
+C<pack 'C[80]', @arr>.
 
 When used with C<Z>, C<*> results in the addition of a trailing null
 byte (so the packed result will be one longer than the byte C<length>
@@ -3400,6 +3401,12 @@ sequences of bytes.
 
 =item *
 
+A ()-group is a sub-TEMPLATE enclosed in parentheses.  A group may
+take a repeat count, both as postfix, and via the C</> template
+character.
+
+=item *
+
 A comment in a TEMPLATE starts with C<#> and goes to the end of line.
 
 =item *