In message "[ruby-talk:00579] Re: What is with `$.'?"
    on 99/08/06, clemens.hintze / alcatel.de <clemens.hintze / alcatel.de> writes:

|> |The variable `$<' will switch its name properly. But the variable `$.'
|> |will not be reset during file switch. It will count up in eternity.
|> 
|> That's how Perl's `$.' works.  Try
|
|I don't like a sentence like: "That's how xxxx works"! :-( I use Ruby
|not xxxx :-) If you have said something like: "That is defined so", I
|could agree (but then I would ask you, why? ;-))))

That variable is defined to be Perl compatible. ;-)

The reason is those weird name variables are basically for porting
Perl scripts, so they are to be Perl compatible as much as possible.
Of cource, there's always exception, like $<.

|We should think about to change that behavior, or change the doc, what
|do you think?

Let me consider.  You (or some other guy, preferably native English
speaker) can supply me a change.  At least I can check out perldoc.

                                                        matz.