The times quantifier

When you need an exact number of repetitions, or a range, use the ** quantifier followed by a number:

say '2025' ~~ / \d ** 4 /; # ｢2025｣

\d ** 4 matches exactly four digits in a row.

A range with two dots allows a variable count. For example, \d ** 2..3 matches two or three digits — as many as are available, up to three:

say '12345' ~~ / \d ** 2..3 /; # ｢123｣

The pattern took three digits, because three is the most it is allowed in the range 2..3.

You can also leave the upper end open. \d ** 2..* means “two or more digits”, and \d ** 1..* means the same as \d+.

The ** quantifier is the general form; *, +, and ? are just convenient shortcuts for the common cases 0..*, 1..*, and 0..1.

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