PHP uses PCRE, so it more or less serves as a stand-in for Perl in this case.

Sort of, though PCRE is not a 100% replacement for regex in Perl proper; the former lacks some features of the latter.

Perl perfected the simplicity and flexibility of regex syntax from POSIX and it seems every other language after has just made it harder.

> I guess it shows how far off the radar Perl currently is.

This is a serious misconception. Perl is far, far from dead. The constant activity of the gargantuan CPAN library more than demonstrates very much the opposite.

I would say Perl and its community has done quite well considering it hasn't had the same mountain of corporate funds thrust into it like more highlighted have. Mainstream ain't everything.

I don't think "off the radar" means dead, but that people aren't generally aware of what's going on with it. I think this is actually pretty consistent with what you're saying; stuff is going on with it, but it's not on people's radar, so they don't realize it.

Fair enough point.