What are common pitfalls or gotchas with argument passing (@_)?

Common Pitfalls and Gotchas with Argument Passing (@_)

In Perl, argument passing can sometimes lead to unexpected behavior if not handled properly. Here are a few common pitfalls to be aware of:

• Modifying the Arguments: When you modify elements of the array @_, you are directly modifying the original arguments, which may lead to unexpected side effects.
• List Context vs Scalar Context: The context in which @_ is evaluated can affect the outcome. Be careful when assuming an array versus a scalar context.
• Excess Arguments: If you pass more arguments than expected, they will still be present in @_ which may not be handled if your code doesn't account for them.
• Using shift or pop: These functions modify @_ and can lead to losing or misreading arguments if not managed properly.