diff --git a/runtime/syntax/perl.vim b/runtime/syntax/perl.vim
index 8cd40b4..ff566e1 100644
--- a/runtime/syntax/perl.vim
+++ b/runtime/syntax/perl.vim
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 " Vim syntax file
 " Language:	Perl
 " Maintainer:	Nick Hibma <n_hibma@van-laarhoven.org>
-" Last Change:	2005 Oct 06
+" Last Change:	2005 October 18
 " Location:	http://www.van-laarhoven.org/vim/syntax/perl.vim
 "
 " Please download most recent version first before mailing
@@ -47,18 +47,18 @@
   syn include @Pod syntax/pod.vim
   unlet b:current_syntax
   if exists("perl_fold")
-    syn region perlPOD start="^=[a-z]" end="^=cut" contains=@Pod,perlTodo keepend fold
+    syn region perlPOD start="^=[a-z]" end="^=cut" contains=@Pod,@Spell,perlTodo keepend fold
     syn region perlPOD start="^=cut" end="^=cut" contains=perlTodo keepend fold
   else
-    syn region perlPOD start="^=[a-z]" end="^=cut" contains=@Pod,perlTodo keepend
+    syn region perlPOD start="^=[a-z]" end="^=cut" contains=@Pod,@Spell,perlTodo keepend
     syn region perlPOD start="^=cut" end="^=cut" contains=perlTodo keepend
   endif
 else
   " Use only the bare minimum of rules
   if exists("perl_fold")
-    syn region perlPOD start="^=[a-z]" end="^=cut" fold
+    syn region perlPOD start="^=[a-z]" end="^=cut" contains=@Spell fold
   else
-    syn region perlPOD start="^=[a-z]" end="^=cut"
+    syn region perlPOD start="^=[a-z]" end="^=cut" contains=@Spell
   endif
 endif
 
@@ -87,8 +87,8 @@
 endif
 syn keyword perlOperator		defined undef and or not bless ref
 if exists("perl_fold")
-  " if BEGIN/END would be a keyword the perlBEGINENDFold does not work
-  syn match perlControl			"\<BEGIN\|CHECK\|INIT\|END\>" contained
+  " if BEGIN/END is a keyword the perlBEGINENDFold does not work
+  syn match perlControl			"\<BEGIN\|END\|CHECK\|INIT\>" contained
 else
   syn keyword perlControl		BEGIN END CHECK INIT
 endif
@@ -108,8 +108,8 @@
 syn match   perlStatementFiles		"-[rwxoRWXOezsfdlpSbctugkTBMAC]\>"
 syn keyword perlStatementFlow		caller die dump eval exit wantarray
 syn keyword perlStatementInclude	require
-syn match   perlStatementInclude	"\(use\|no\)\s\+\(integer\>\|strict\>\|lib\>\|sigtrap\>\|subs\>\|vars\>\|warnings\>\|utf8\>\|byte\>\)\="
-syn keyword perlStatementScope		import
+syn match   perlStatementInclude	"\<\(use\|no\)\s\+\(\(attributes\|autouse\|base\|big\(int\|num\|rat\)\|blib\|bytes\|charnames\|constant\|diagnostics\|encoding\|fields\|filetest\|if\|integer\|less\|lib\|locale\|open\|ops\|overload\|re\|sigtrap\|sort\|strict\|subs\|threads\(::shared\)\=\|utf8\|vars\|vmsish\|warnings\(::register\)\=\)\>\)\="
+
 syn keyword perlStatementProc		alarm exec fork getpgrp getppid getpriority kill pipe setpgrp setpriority sleep system times wait waitpid
 syn keyword perlStatementSocket		accept bind connect getpeername getsockname getsockopt listen recv send setsockopt shutdown socket socketpair
 syn keyword perlStatementIPC		msgctl msgget msgrcv msgsnd semctl semget semop shmctl shmget shmread shmwrite
@@ -118,8 +118,11 @@
 syn keyword perlStatementTime		gmtime localtime time times
 
 syn keyword perlStatementMisc		warn formline reset scalar delete prototype lock
-syn keyword perlStatementNew		new
-
+if !exists("perl_no_semi_keywords")
+  syn keyword perlStatementScope	import
+  syn keyword perlStatementNew		new
+  syn keyword perlStatementCarp		carp confess croak 		
+endif
 syn keyword perlTodo			TODO TBD FIXME XXX contained
 
 " Perl Identifiers.
@@ -134,14 +137,16 @@
 
 " Special variables first ($^A, ...) and ($|, $', ...)
 syn match  perlVarPlain		 "$^[ADEFHILMOPSTWX]\="
-syn match  perlVarPlain		 "$[\\\"\[\]'&`+*.,;=%~!?@$<>(-]"
-syn match  perlVarPlain		 "$\(0\|[1-9][0-9]*\)"
+syn match  perlVarPlain		 "$[\\\"\[\]'&`+*.,;=%~?@$<>(-]"
+syn match  perlVarPlain		 "$\(0\|[1-9]\d*\)"
 " Same as above, but avoids confusion in $::foo (equivalent to $main::foo)
 syn match  perlVarPlain		 "$:[^:]"
 " These variables are not recognized within matches.
 syn match  perlVarNotInMatches	 "$[|)]"
-" This variable is not recognized within matches delimited by m//.
+" This variable is not recognized within matches delimited by '/'.
 syn match  perlVarSlash		 "$/"
+" This variable is not recognized within matches delimited by '!'.
+syn match  perlVarBang		 "$!"
 
 " And plain identifiers
 syn match  perlPackageRef	 "\(\h\w*\)\=\(::\|'\)\I"me=e-1 contained
@@ -159,7 +164,7 @@
 endif
 
 if !exists("perl_no_extended_vars")
-  syn cluster perlExpr		contains=perlStatementScalar,perlStatementRegexp,perlStatementNumeric,perlStatementList,perlStatementHash,perlStatementFiles,perlStatementTime,perlStatementMisc,perlVarPlain,perlVarNotInMatches,perlVarSlash,perlVarBlock,perlShellCommand,perlFloat,perlNumber,perlStringUnexpanded,perlString,perlQQ
+  syn cluster perlExpr		contains=perlStatementScalar,perlStatementRegexp,perlStatementNumeric,perlStatementList,perlStatementHash,perlStatementFiles,perlStatementTime,perlStatementMisc,perlVarPlain,perlVarNotInMatches,perlVarSlash,perlVarBang,perlVarBlock,perlShellCommand,perlFloat,perlNumber,perlStringUnexpanded,perlString,perlQQ
   syn region perlVarBlock	matchgroup=perlVarPlain start="\($#\|[@%$]\)\$*{" skip="\\}" end="}" contains=@perlExpr nextgroup=perlVarMember,perlVarSimpleMember
   syn region perlVarBlock	matchgroup=perlVarPlain start="&\$*{" skip="\\}" end="}" contains=@perlExpr
   syn match  perlVarPlain	"\\\=\(\$#\|[@%&$]\)\$*{\I\i*}" nextgroup=perlVarMember,perlVarSimpleMember
@@ -174,17 +179,18 @@
 syn match  perlFiledescRead	"[<]\h\w\+[>]"
 
 syn match  perlFiledescStatementComma	"(\=\s*\u\w*\s*,"me=e-1 transparent contained contains=perlFiledescStatement
-syn match  perlFiledescStatementNocomma "(\=\s*\u\w*\s*[^, \t]"me=e-1 transparent contained contains=perlFiledescStatement
+syn match  perlFiledescStatementNocomma "(\=\s*\u\w*\s*[^,[:space:]]"me=e-1 transparent contained contains=perlFiledescStatement
 
 syn match  perlFiledescStatement	"\u\w*" contained
 
 " Special characters in strings and matches
 syn match  perlSpecialString	"\\\(\d\+\|[xX]\x\+\|c\u\|.\)" contained
 syn match  perlSpecialStringU	"\\['\\]" contained
-syn match  perlSpecialMatch	"{\d\+\(,\(\d\+\)\=\)\=}" contained
+syn match  perlSpecialMatch	"{\d\+\(,\d*\)\=}" contained
 syn match  perlSpecialMatch	"\[\(\]\|-\)\=[^\[\]]*\(\[\|\-\)\=\]" contained
 syn match  perlSpecialMatch	"[+*()?.]" contained
 syn match  perlSpecialMatch	"(?[#:=!]" contained
+syn match  perlSpecialMatch	"(?<[=!]" contained
 syn match  perlSpecialMatch	"(?[imsx]\+)" contained
 " FIXME the line below does not work. It should mark end of line and
 " begin of line as perlSpecial.
@@ -201,13 +207,13 @@
 " Variable interpolation
 "
 " These items are interpolated inside "" strings and similar constructs.
-syn cluster perlInterpDQ	contains=perlSpecialString,perlVarPlain,perlVarNotInMatches,perlVarSlash,perlVarBlock
+syn cluster perlInterpDQ	contains=perlSpecialString,perlVarPlain,perlVarNotInMatches,perlVarSlash,perlVarBang,perlVarBlock
 " These items are interpolated inside '' strings and similar constructs.
 syn cluster perlInterpSQ	contains=perlSpecialStringU
 " These items are interpolated inside m// matches and s/// substitutions.
 syn cluster perlInterpSlash	contains=perlSpecialString,perlSpecialMatch,perlVarPlain,perlVarBlock,perlSpecialBEOM
 " These items are interpolated inside m## matches and s### substitutions.
-syn cluster perlInterpMatch	contains=@perlInterpSlash,perlVarSlash
+syn cluster perlInterpMatch	contains=@perlInterpSlash,perlVarSlash,perlVarBang
 
 " Shell commands
 syn region  perlShellCommand	matchgroup=perlMatchStartEnd start="`" end="`" contains=@perlInterpDQ
@@ -233,8 +239,7 @@
 
 " Below some hacks to recognise the // variant. This is virtually impossible to catch in all
 " cases as the / is used in so many other ways, but these should be the most obvious ones.
-"syn region perlMatch	matchgroup=perlMatchStartEnd start=+^split /+lc=5 start=+[^$@%]\<split /+lc=6 start=+^if /+lc=2 start=+[^$@%]if /+lc=3 start=+[!=]\~\s*/+lc=2 start=+[(~]/+lc=1 start=+\.\./+lc=2 start=+\s/[^= \t0-9$@%]+lc=1,me=e-1,rs=e-1 start=+^/+ skip=+\\/+ end=+/[cgimosx]*+ contains=@perlInterpSlash
-syn region perlMatch	matchgroup=perlMatchStartEnd start=+^split /+lc=5 start=+[^$@%]\<split /+lc=6 start=+^while /+lc=5 start=+[^$@%]while /+lc=6 start=+^if /+lc=2 start=+[^$@%]if /+lc=3 start=+[!=]\~\s*/+lc=2 start=+[(~]/+lc=1 start=+\.\./+lc=2 start=+\s/[^= \t0-9$@%]+lc=1,me=e-1,rs=e-1 start=+^/+ skip=+\\/+ end=+/[cgimosx]*+ contains=@perlInterpSlash
+syn region perlMatch	matchgroup=perlMatchStartEnd start=+^split /+lc=5 start=+[^$@%&]\<split /+lc=6 start=+^while /+lc=5 start=+[^$@%&]while /+lc=6 start=+^if /+lc=2 start=+[^$@%&]if /+lc=3 start=+[!=]\~\s*/+lc=2 start=+[(~]/+lc=1 start=+\.\./+lc=2 start=+\s/[^=[:space:][:digit:]$@%&]+lc=1,me=e-1,rs=e-1 start=+^/+ skip=+\\/+ end=+/[cgimosx]*+ contains=@perlInterpSlash
 
 
 " Substitutions
@@ -253,7 +258,7 @@
 syn region perlSubstitutionBracket	matchgroup=perlMatchStartEnd start=+\[+ end=+\][ecgimosx]*+ contained contains=@perlInterpDQ
 syn region perlSubstitutionCurly	matchgroup=perlMatchStartEnd start=+{+  end=+}[ecgimosx]*+ contained contains=@perlInterpDQ
 
-" A special case for m!!x which allows for comments and extra whitespace in the pattern
+" A special case for s!!!x which allows for comments and extra whitespace in the pattern
 syn region perlMatch	matchgroup=perlMatchStartEnd start=+\<s!+ end=+!+me=e-1 contains=@perlInterpSlash,perlComment nextgroup=perlSubstitutionPling
 syn region perlSubstitutionPling	matchgroup=perlMatchStartEnd start=+!+ end=+![ecgimosx]*+ contained contains=@perlInterpDQ
 
@@ -280,24 +285,24 @@
 
 " Strings and q, qq, qw and qr expressions
 
-" Brackets in qq()
-syn region perlBrackets	start=+(+ end=+)+ contained transparent contains=perlBrackets,@perlStringSQ
+" Parentheses in qq()
+syn region perlParens	start=+(+ end=+)+ contained transparent contains=perlParens,@perlStringSQ
 
-syn region perlStringUnexpanded	matchgroup=perlStringStartEnd start="'" end="'" contains=@perlInterpSQ
-syn region perlString		matchgroup=perlStringStartEnd start=+"+  end=+"+ contains=@perlInterpDQ
+syn region perlStringUnexpanded	matchgroup=perlStringStartEnd start="'" end="'" contains=@Spell,@perlInterpSQ
+syn region perlString		matchgroup=perlStringStartEnd start=+"+  end=+"+ contains=@Spell,@perlInterpDQ
 syn region perlQQ		matchgroup=perlStringStartEnd start=+\<q#+ end=+#+ contains=@perlInterpSQ
 syn region perlQQ		matchgroup=perlStringStartEnd start=+\<q|+ end=+|+ contains=@perlInterpSQ
-syn region perlQQ		matchgroup=perlStringStartEnd start=+\<q(+ end=+)+ contains=@perlInterpSQ,perlBrackets
+syn region perlQQ		matchgroup=perlStringStartEnd start=+\<q(+ end=+)+ contains=@perlInterpSQ,perlParens
 syn region perlQQ		matchgroup=perlStringStartEnd start=+\<q{+ end=+}+ contains=@perlInterpSQ
 syn region perlQQ		matchgroup=perlStringStartEnd start=+\<q/+ end=+/+ contains=@perlInterpSQ
 syn region perlQQ		matchgroup=perlStringStartEnd start=+\<q[qx]#+ end=+#+ contains=@perlInterpDQ
 syn region perlQQ		matchgroup=perlStringStartEnd start=+\<q[qx]|+ end=+|+ contains=@perlInterpDQ
-syn region perlQQ		matchgroup=perlStringStartEnd start=+\<q[qx](+ end=+)+ contains=@perlInterpDQ,perlBrackets
+syn region perlQQ		matchgroup=perlStringStartEnd start=+\<q[qx](+ end=+)+ contains=@perlInterpDQ,perlParens
 syn region perlQQ		matchgroup=perlStringStartEnd start=+\<q[qx]{+ end=+}+ contains=@perlInterpDQ
 syn region perlQQ		matchgroup=perlStringStartEnd start=+\<q[qx]/+ end=+/+ contains=@perlInterpDQ
 syn region perlQQ		matchgroup=perlStringStartEnd start=+\<qw#+  end=+#+ contains=@perlInterpSQ
 syn region perlQQ		matchgroup=perlStringStartEnd start=+\<qw|+  end=+|+ contains=@perlInterpSQ
-syn region perlQQ		matchgroup=perlStringStartEnd start=+\<qw(+  end=+)+ contains=@perlInterpSQ,perlBrackets
+syn region perlQQ		matchgroup=perlStringStartEnd start=+\<qw(+  end=+)+ contains=@perlInterpSQ,perlParens
 syn region perlQQ		matchgroup=perlStringStartEnd start=+\<qw{+  end=+}+ contains=@perlInterpSQ
 syn region perlQQ		matchgroup=perlStringStartEnd start=+\<qw/+  end=+/+ contains=@perlInterpSQ
 syn region perlQQ		matchgroup=perlStringStartEnd start=+\<qr#+  end=+#[imosx]*+ contains=@perlInterpMatch
@@ -362,7 +367,7 @@
 
 
 " All other # are comments, except ^#!
-syn match  perlComment		"#.*" contains=perlTodo
+syn match  perlComment		"#.*" contains=@Spell,perlTodo
 syn match  perlSharpBang	"^#!.*"
 
 " Formats
@@ -391,8 +396,8 @@
   syn region perlBEGINENDFold start="^\z(\s*\)\<\(BEGIN\|END\|CHECK\|INIT\)\>.*[^};]$" end="^\z1}\s*$" transparent fold keepend
 
   if exists("perl_fold_blocks")
-    syn region perlIfFold start="^\z(\s*\)\(if\|unless\|for\|while\|until\)\s*(.*)\s*{\s*$" start="^\z(\s*\)foreach\s*\(\(my\|our\)\=\s*\S\+\s*\)\=(.*)\s*{\s*$" end="^\z1}\s*;\=$" transparent fold keepend
-    syn region perlIfFold start="^\z(\s*\)do\s*{\s*$" end="^\z1}\s*while" end="^\z1}\s*;\=$" transparent fold keepend
+    syn region perlIfFold start="^\z(\s*\)\(if\|unless\|for\|while\|until\)\s*(.*)\(\s*{\)\=\s*$" start="^\z(\s*\)foreach\s*\(\(my\|our\)\=\s*\S\+\s*\)\=(.*)\(\s*{\)\=\s*$" start="\z(\s*\)else\s*{\s*$" end="^\z1}\s*;\=$" transparent fold keepend
+    syn region perlIfFold start="^\z(\s*\)do\(\s*{\)\=\s*$" end="^\z1}\s*while" end="^\z1}\s*;\=$" transparent fold keepend
   endif
 
   setlocal foldmethod=syntax
@@ -445,6 +450,7 @@
   HiLink perlVarSimpleMemberName perlString
   HiLink perlVarNotInMatches	perlIdentifier
   HiLink perlVarSlash		perlIdentifier
+  HiLink perlVarBang		perlIdentifier
   HiLink perlQQ			perlString
   if version >= 600
     HiLink perlHereDoc		perlString
@@ -454,7 +460,7 @@
     HiLink perlUntilEOFSQ	perlString
     HiLink perlUntilEmptyDQ	perlString
     HiLink perlUntilEmptySQ	perlString
-    HiLink perlUntilEOF		perlString
+    HiLink perlUntilEOF		perlString		
   endif
   HiLink perlStringUnexpanded	perlString
   HiLink perlSubstitutionSQ	perlString
@@ -490,7 +496,7 @@
   HiLink perlStatementFiles	perlStatement
   HiLink perlStatementFlow	perlStatement
   HiLink perlStatementScope	perlStatement
-  HiLink perlStatementInclude	perlStatement
+  HiLink perlStatementInclude	perlInclude
   HiLink perlStatementProc	perlStatement
   HiLink perlStatementSocket	perlStatement
   HiLink perlStatementIPC	perlStatement
@@ -511,9 +517,9 @@
   HiLink perlSpecialMatch	perlSpecial
   HiLink perlSpecialBEOM	perlSpecial
   HiLink perlDATA		perlComment
-
-  HiLink perlBrackets		Error
-
+  
+  HiLink perlParens		Error
+  
   " Possible errors
   HiLink perlNotEmptyLine	Error
   HiLink perlElseIfError	Error