sub process { my( $AoA, $thingToProcess ) = @_; my( $v1, $v2, $v3, $v4, $v5, $v6, $v7 ) = @{ $AoA->[ $thingToProcess ] }; my( $r1, $r2, $r3, $r4, $r5, $r6, $r7 ) = ( ... some calculation(s) involving $v1, $v2, $v3, $v4, $v5, $v6, $v7 ... ); @{ $AoA->[ $thingToProcess ] } = ( $r1, $r2, $r3, $r4, $r5, $r6, $r7 ); return; }