From @haukex

Hi,

perlfunc says "`say LIST` is simply an abbreviation for `{ local $\ =
"\n"; print LIST }`". If that were true, the output of the following two
would be the same​:

$ perl -MData​::Dumper -E 'sub x{Dumper($\)}{local$\="\n";print(x())}'
$VAR1 = '
';

$ perl -MData​::Dumper -E 'sub x{Dumper($\)}say(x())'
$VAR1 = undef;

So I think the documentation is incorrect. I always thought `say LIST` was
simply an abbreviation for `print(LIST,"\n")` - at least that's how it
behaves (it's not `print LIST, $\`, as a simple test shows).

$ perl -E '$\="y"; print "x"; say "z"'
xyz

Thanks, Regards,
-- Hauke D

From @Grinnz

On Sat, 20 Jul 2019 00​:55​:51 -0700, haukex@​zero-g.net wrote​:

Hi,

perlfunc says "`say LIST` is simply an abbreviation for `{ local $\ =
"\n"; print LIST }`". If that were true, the output of the following two
would be the same​:

$ perl -MData​::Dumper -E 'sub x{Dumper($\)}{local$\="\n";print(x())}'
$VAR1 = '
';

$ perl -MData​::Dumper -E 'sub x{Dumper($\)}say(x())'
$VAR1 = undef;

So I think the documentation is incorrect. I always thought `say LIST` was
simply an abbreviation for `print(LIST,"\n")` - at least that's how it
behaves (it's not `print LIST, $\`, as a simple test shows).

$ perl -E '$\="y"; print "x"; say "z"'
xyz

It's definitely misleading, but I think the intent was to say that it's like setting `local $\ = "\n"` for just the call to print (not while evaluating its arguments). Your example actually shows that it is also not `print(LIST,"\n")`, because that would also append $\; it uses \n *instead* of $\. I will see if I can come up with a patch.

-Dan

The RT System itself - Status changed from 'new' to 'open'

From @Grinnz

On Sat, 20 Jul 2019 08​:26​:02 -0700, grinnz@​gmail.com wrote​:

On Sat, 20 Jul 2019 00​:55​:51 -0700, haukex@​zero-g.net wrote​:

Hi,

perlfunc says "`say LIST` is simply an abbreviation for `{ local $\ =
"\n"; print LIST }`". If that were true, the output of the following
two
would be the same​:

$ perl -MData​::Dumper -E 'sub x{Dumper($\)}{local$\="\n";print(x())}'
$VAR1 = '
';

$ perl -MData​::Dumper -E 'sub x{Dumper($\)}say(x())'
$VAR1 = undef;

So I think the documentation is incorrect. I always thought `say
LIST` was
simply an abbreviation for `print(LIST,"\n")` - at least that's how
it
behaves (it's not `print LIST, $\`, as a simple test shows).

$ perl -E '$\="y"; print "x"; say "z"'
xyz

It's definitely misleading, but I think the intent was to say that
it's like setting `local $\ = "\n"` for just the call to print (not
while evaluating its arguments). Your example actually shows that it
is also not `print(LIST,"\n")`, because that would also append $\; it
uses \n *instead* of $\. I will see if I can come up with a patch.

Patch is attached.

From @Grinnz

From ef0c28a099eb447e341c2d841d18c1139d2a70be Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Dan Book <grinnz@grinnz.com>
Date: Sat, 20 Jul 2019 11:40:45 -0400
Subject: [PATCH] update say docs to better represent reality

---
 pod/perlfunc.pod | 4 ++--
 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/pod/perlfunc.pod b/pod/perlfunc.pod
index 0e50132907..066cd268db 100644
--- a/pod/perlfunc.pod
+++ b/pod/perlfunc.pod
@@ -6789,8 +6789,8 @@ X<say>
 =for Pod::Functions +say output a list to a filehandle, appending a newline
 
 Just like L<C<print>|/print FILEHANDLE LIST>, but implicitly appends a
-newline.  C<say LIST> is simply an abbreviation for
-C<{ local $\ = "\n"; print LIST }>.  To use FILEHANDLE without a LIST to
+newline at the end of the LIST instead of any value L<C<$\>|perlvar/$\>
+might have.  To use FILEHANDLE without a LIST to
 print the contents of L<C<$_>|perlvar/$_> to it, you must use a bareword
 filehandle like C<FH>, not an indirect one like C<$fh>.
 
-- 
2.20.1

From @haukex

Hi,

On Sat, 20 Jul 2019 08​:26​:02 -0700, grinnz@​gmail.com wrote​:

Your example actually shows that it is also not `print(LIST,"\n")`,
because that would also append $\; it uses \n *instead* of $\.

Oops, you're right of course! I do see more clearly what the current
wording is *trying* to say, although it is indeed still misleading.

On Sat, 20 Jul 2019, Dan Book via RT wrote​:

Patch is attached.

Looks good to me, thank you!

Best,
-- Hauke D

From @khwilliamson

Thanks, applied as c3d72fb
--
Karl Williamson

@khwilliamson - Status changed from 'open' to 'pending release'