Perl

We'll write more about Perl after we decipher the following code:

perl -wlne'END{print$n}eof&&$n++;/<title>([^<]+)/i&&$n--' *

Interpretation

The code in question (from the collection "The road to Perligata") is a lament over the coming apocalypse, an expression of the author's Weltschmerz and the futility of all human endeavors. Let us take it step by step:

-wlne'	The world is near its end.
END{print$n}	At the end the sum of all our sins and virtues will be reckoned and the judgement revealed.
eof&&$n++;	As the evil of mankind ends, perhaps the end itself is a positive thing.
/<title>([^<]+)/	We are preoccupied with fame and titles
i	And insensitive to the suffering of others.
&&$n--	All this is for nought, and only hastens our demise.
' *	For in the end, we are but stardust.

Implementations

In Perl

eval join '', <>;

In shell scripts

perl