Perl Interview Question: Single Quotes vs Double Quotes for String Literals

In Perl, single quotes ('') and double quotes ("") are used to define string literals. The main difference between them is how they handle special characters and variable interpolation.

Single Quotes ('')

Strings enclosed in single quotes are treated as literal strings. Special characters like newline (n), backslash (\), and others are not interpreted and are output as-is. Variable interpolation is also not supported within single quotes.

Double Quotes ("")

Strings enclosed in double quotes allow for special character interpretation and variable interpolation. Special characters like newline (n), tab (t), and backslash () are interpreted. Variables can also be interpolated directly within the string by using the syntax $variable_name.

Therefore, when working with Perl string literals, choose single quotes ('') for literal strings that do not require special character interpretation or variable interpolation, and use double quotes ("") when you need to include special characters or variables within the string.