#!/usr/bin/perl
use strict;
# create some table rows
my @a = qw(a b c);
my @b = qw(c d e);
my @c = qw(f g h);

# create the 2D structure.
my @table = (\@a, \@b, \@c);

# @table is really a 1D structure, of references
# but conceptually you can treat it as a 2D structure
# (see the print_cube function)

# this prints just the references
print join(" ", @table), "\n\n";

# this function prints out the table
print_cube(@table);

# but since @table holds only references, you can change
# the data being referenced and @table will in turn change
# because they are really pointing the same thing

@a = qw(x y z);
print_cube(@table);

# that is why multi dimensional structures are usually create 
# with anonymous structures:
$table[0] = [1, 2, 3];
$table[1] = [4, 5, 6];
$table[2] = [7, 8, 9];

# that way to access the first row you have to go through 
# the table structure because the first row has not other
# name than $table[0] (unlike @a above)

print_cube(@table);

sub print_cube
{
    my @cube = @_;
    foreach my $i (0..2)
    {
        foreach my $j (0..2)
        {
            print $cube[$i][$j], " ";
        }
        print "\n";
    }
    print "\n";
}