---
name: "Text::Shellwords"
section: "3pm"
platform: "linux"
package: "libtext-shellwords-perl"
version: "1.03-1"
release: "Debian 4.0 (Etch)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/Text::Shellwords"
---

# Text::Shellwords(3pm)

## NAME

Text::Shellwords

## SYNOPSIS

```
  use Text::Shellwords;
  @words = shellwords($line);
  @words = shellwords(@lines);
  @words = shellwords();
```

## DESCRIPTION

This is a thin wrapper around the shellwords.pl package, which comes preinstalled with Perl.  This module imports a single subroutine, *shellwords()*.  The *shellwords()* routine parses lines of text and returns a set of tokens using the same rules that the Unix shell does for its command-line arguments.  Tokens are separated by whitespace, and can be delimited by single or double quotes.  The module also respects backslash escapes.

If called with one or more arguments, *shellwords()* will treat each argument as a line of text, parse it, and return the tokens.  If called without any arguments, *shellwords()* will parse **$\_** and clobber it.

## BUGS

Please report them.

## SEE ALSO

shellwords.pl

## AUTHOR

Lincoln Stein \<lstein@cshl.org\>.

Copyright (c) 2001 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.  See DISCLAIMER.txt for disclaimers of warranty.