clarify what a "line" is

p4raw-id: //depot/perl@2932

1 files changed, 8 insertions, 2 deletions

diff --git a/pod/perlvar.pod b/pod/perlvar.pod
index 38d6d3299e..2dafc1ca1a 100644
--- a/pod/perlvar.pod
+++ b/pod/perlvar.pod
@@ -222,7 +222,10 @@ the C</s> and C</m> modifiers on pattern matching.
 =item $.
 
 The current input line number for the last file handle from
-which you read (or performed a C<seek> or C<tell> on).  An
+which you read (or performed a C<seek> or C<tell> on).  The value
+may be different from the actual physical line number in the file,
+depending on what notion of "line" is in effect--see L<$/> on how
+to affect that.  An
 explicit close on a filehandle resets the line number.  Because
 "C<E<lt>E<gt>>" never does an explicit close, line numbers increase
 across ARGV files (but see examples under eof()).  Localizing C<$.> has
@@ -238,7 +241,8 @@ number.)
 
 =item $/
 
-The input record separator, newline by default.  Works like B<awk>'s RS
+The input record separator, newline by default.  This is used to
+influence Perl's idea of what a "line" is.  Works like B<awk>'s RS
 variable, including treating empty lines as delimiters if set to the
 null string.  (Note: An empty line cannot contain any spaces or tabs.)
 You may set it to a multi-character string to match a multi-character
@@ -278,6 +282,8 @@ likely not a problem, as any file you'd want to read in record mode is
 probably usable in line mode) Non-VMS systems perform normal I/O, so
 it's safe to mix record and non-record reads of a file.
 
+Also see L<$.>.
+
 =item autoflush HANDLE EXPR
 
 =item $OUTPUT_AUTOFLUSH