[Chapter 3] 3.3 Variables
Author: Randal Schwartz, Tom Christiansen & Larry Wall
Date: 1999-07-02T01:32:10Z

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| Chapter 3 Arrays and List Data |

## 3.3 Variables

An array variable holds a single list value (zero or more scalar values). Array variable names are similar to scalar variable names, differing only in the initial character, which is an at sign (`@`) rather than a dollar sign (`$`). For example:

    @fred # the array variable @fred
    @A_Very_Long_Array_Variable_Name
    @A_Very_Long_Array_Variable_Name_that_is_different

Note that the array variable `@fred` is unrelated to the scalar variable `$fred`. Perl maintains separate namespaces for different types of things.

The value of an array variable that has not yet been assigned is `()`, the empty list.

An expression can refer to array variables as a whole, or it can examine and modify individual elements of the array.

3.2 Literal Representation |  | 3.4 Array Operators and Functions