#!/usr/bin/perl

use strict;
use Data::Dumper;

my %hash;
$hash{'key1'}{'key2'} = 'value';

print "\nDump of \%hash (1):\n";
print Dumper \%hash;

# This print statement is actually altering the hash
print "\n\"$hash{'key0'}{'key1'}{'key2'}\"\n";

print "\nDump of \%hash (2):\n";
print Dumper \%hash;

##</code><code>##

Dump of %dtoHash (1):
$VAR1 = {
          'key1' => {
                      'key2' => 'value'
                    }
        };

""

Dump of %dtoHash (2):
$VAR1 = {
          'key1' => {
                      'key2' => 'value'
                    },
          'key0' => {
                      'key1' => {}
                    }
        };