#!/usr/local/bin/perl $input = ; $position = $found = 0; while (1) { $position = index($input, "the", $position); last if ($position == -1); if ($found == 0) { $found = 1; print ("pattern found - characters skipped:"); } print (" $position"); $position++; } if ($found == 0) { print ("pattern not found\n"); } else { print ("\n"); }