Where angels fear to tread - A switch statement for Perl

This paper proposes a syntax and semantics for an explicit case mechanism for Perl. The syntax is minimal, introducing only the keywords switch and case and conforming to the general pattern of existing Perl control structures. The semantics are particularly rich, allowing any one (or more) of nearly thirty forms of matching to be used when comparing a switch value with its various cases. A prototype implementation of the proposed addition is also described.