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From: worley@compass.com (Dale Worley)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.perl
Subject: Self-reproducing program
Message-ID: <1991Mar26.210348.12286@uvaarpa.Virginia.EDU>
Date: 26 Mar 91 21:03:48 GMT
Sender: mmdf@uvaarpa.Virginia.EDU (Uvaarpa Mail System)
Reply-To: worley@compass.com
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 28

I don't know if this has been hashed over before, but: What is the
shortest self-reproducing Perl program?  (Well, the null file is, but
what is the shortest non-trivial program?)

The best I've been able to do is:

print @a=<DATA>,@a
__END__
print @a=<DATA>,@a
__END__

Dale

Dale Worley		Compass, Inc.			worley@compass.com
--
So you want to have a shameful affair?
Yet, somehow you can't justify it?

The next time you are contemplating a decision in which you are debating
whether or not to go for the gusto, ask yourself this Important Question:

	How long will I be dead?

With that perspective, you can now make a free, fearless choice to do
just about any goddamned sneaky thing your devious little mind can think
up.  Go ahead.  Have your fun.  You're welcome.  Go on.  See you in
Hell.
		--Matt Groening