0.foo.bar = 0foobar
0.foo.baz = 0foobaz
1.foo     = 1foo

equates to:

[
    {
        foo =>
        {
            bar => '0foobar',
            baz => '0foobaz'
        }
    },
    {
        foo => '1foo'
    }
]

##</code><code>##

>.foo.bar = 0foobar
<.foo.baz = 0foobaz
>.foo     = 1foo

##</code><code>##

use strict;
use warnings;
use Data::Diver  qw#DiveVal DiveError#;
use Data::Dumper qw#Dumper#;

$/ = qq#\r\n#;

my $state = { };
my $ref   = undef;

while ( my $line = <DATA> )
{
    next if ( $line =~ qr#^(\#|\s*$)# ); # ignore line if comment or blank.
    
    chomp $line; # remove newline.
    
    my ( $selector, $value ) = split qr#\s*=\s*#, $line; # (selector)=(value). todo: unless escaped.
    
    next if ( not defined $selector ); # ignore line if no selector.
    
    my @selector = split qr#\.#, $selector; # (one).(two).(three)... todo: unless escaped.
    
    $ref //= ( $selector[0] =~ qr#^([><]|\d+)$# ) ? [ ] : { } ;

    _dive( $ref, \@selector, $value );
}

print Dumper $state, $ref;

sub _dive
{
    my ( $ref, $selector, $value ) = @_;
    
    return if ( not defined $ref or not defined $selector or not scalar @$selector ); # return if no ref or no selectees.
    
    my @selector_b = qw##;
   
    for my $selectee ( @$selector )
    {
        if ( $selectee =~ qr#^([><])$# ) # if incognito selectee. todo: unless escaped.
        {
            my $selector_b = join q#.#, @selector_b;
            
            if ( $1 eq q#># ) # incognito selectee is of increment type.
            {
                if ( defined $state->{$selector_b} ) # we have seen this state before.
                {
                    push @selector_b, $state->{$selector_b} += 1; # push current index + 1.
                }
                else
                {
                    push @selector_b, $state->{$selector_b} = 0; # push 0 (first) index.
                }
            }
            elsif ( $1 eq q#<# ) # incognito selectee is of maintain type.
            {
                push @selector_b, $state->{$selector_b} //= 0; # push current index or 0 (first) index.
            }
        }
        else # else non inconito selectee.
        {
            push @selector_b, $selectee; # push selectee.
        }
    }
    
    DiveVal( $ref, @selector_b ) = $value;
    my ( $error ) = DiveError( );
    $error and warn $error;
    
    return 1;
}

__DATA__

>.name          = john
<.location      = uk
<.interests.>   = programming
<.interests.>   = cycling

>.name          = laura
<.location      = 
<.interests.>   = knitting
<.interests.>   = tennis
<.interests.>   = dancing

>.name
<.location      = canada
<.interests.>.> = dogs
<.interests.<.> = horses
<.interests.>   = cars

# test.error = blah

##</code><code>##

$VAR1 = {
          '2.interests' => 1,
          '' => 2,
          '2.interests.0' => 1,
          '0.interests' => 1,
          '1.interests' => 2
        };
$VAR2 = [
          {
            'interests' => [
                           'programming',
                           'cycling'
                         ],
            'location' => 'uk',
            'name' => 'john'
          },
          {
            'interests' => [
                           'knitting',
                           'tennis',
                           'dancing'
                         ],
            'location' => '',
            'name' => 'laura'
          },
          {
            'interests' => [
                           [
                             'dogs',
                             'horses'
                           ],
                           'cars'
                         ],
            'location' => 'canada',
            'name' => undef
          }
        ];