---
name: readline
status: documented
runtime: pp
source: src/runtime/pp/io.rs
---
```{index} single: readline; Perl built-in (pp runtime)
```

# readline

## Synopsis

```perl
$line  = <$fh>;           # scalar: next line
@lines = <$fh>;           # list: all remaining lines
$line  = readline($fh);   # explicit function form
```

## Description

PP function for readline

Reads one or more records from a filehandle.

In scalar context, returns the next record from the filehandle
(including the record separator, typically a newline). Returns `undef`
at end-of-file. In list context, returns all remaining records.

The record separator is controlled by `$/`:
- `"\n"` (default) -- line-at-a-time mode
- `""` -- paragraph mode (reads until a blank line)
- `undef` -- slurp mode (reads the entire file)
- `\N` (reference to integer) -- fixed-length record mode (reads N bytes)
- arbitrary string -- reads until that separator is found

When the STACKED flag is set, the result is assigned to the lvalue
target on the stack (e.g. `my $line = <$fh>`).

Supports both lexical (`$fh`) and bareword (`FH`) filehandles, as well
as IO::Handle / IO::File objects.

## See also

eof, read, getc, chomp