---
name: "Perl::Critic::Policy::RegularExpressions::ProhibitUnusualDelimiters"
section: "3pm"
platform: "linux"
package: "perl-perl-critic"
version: "1.156-3"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/Perl::Critic::Policy::RegularExpressions::ProhibitUnusualDelimiters"
---

# Perl::Critic::Policy::RegularExpressions::ProhibitUnusualDelimiters(3pm)

Use only "//" or "{}" to delimit regexps.

## NAME

Perl::Critic::Policy::RegularExpressions::ProhibitUnusualDelimiters - Use only "//" or "{}" to delimit regexps.

## AFFILIATION

This Policy is part of the core Perl::Critic distribution.

## DESCRIPTION

Perl lets you delimit regular expressions with almost any character, but most choices are illegible.  Compare these equivalent expressions:

```
  s/foo/bar/;   # good
  s{foo}{bar};  # good
  s#foo#bar#;   # bad
  s;foo;bar;;   # worse
  s|\|\||\||;   # eye-gouging bad
```

## CONFIGURATION

There is one option for this policy, `"allow_all_brackets"`.  If this is true, then, in addition to allowing `"//"` and `"{}"`, the other matched pairs of `"()"`, `"[]"`, and `"<>"` are allowed.

## CREDITS

Initial development of this policy was supported by a grant from the Perl Foundation.

## AUTHOR

Chris Dolan \<cdolan@cpan.org\>

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright (c) 2007-2023 Chris Dolan

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.  The full text of this license can be found in the LICENSE file included with this module