=over

=item $MULTILINE_MATCHING

=item $*

Set to 1 to do multi-line matching within a string, 0 to tell Perl
that it can assume that strings contain a single line, for the purpose
of optimizing pattern matches.  Pattern matches on strings containing
multiple newlines can produce confusing results when C<$*> is 0.  Default
is 0.  (Mnemonic: * matches multiple things.)  This variable
influences the interpretation of only C<^> and C<$>.  A literal newline can
be searched for even when C<$* == 0>.

Use of C<$*> is deprecated in modern Perl, supplanted by 
the C</s> and C</m> modifiers on pattern matching.

=back