__HASH__ $VAR1 = { 'Key1' => 'Cat.Mouse.Game.Lion.Tiger.Elephant', 'Key2' => 'Cat.Mouse.Game.Lion.Tiger.Lion', 'Key3' => 'Cat.Mouse.Game.Lion.Tiger.Monkey', }; #### __DATA__ Pigeon.Lion.Tiger.Elephant SOME_DATA Pigeon.Lion.Tiger.Lion SOME_DATA Pigeon.Lion.Tiger.Monkey SOME_DATA #### __Example code__ my %hash = () my $file = 'master.txt'; open (my $OUT_FILE, '<', "TEXT_FILE") or die "ERROR"; while (<$OUT_FILE>) { print "$. \n" if /SOME_DATA/; #searching SOME_DATA and printing } #### __OUTPUT__ Pigeon.Lion.Tiger.Elephant SOME_DATA (Key1) Pigeon.Lion.Tiger.Monkey SOME_DATA (Key3)