#!/usr/bin/perl

$char = 0xE000;

%characters = map { $_ => $char++ } (
  'first character',
  'second character',
  'third character'
);

printf "First: %X; third: %X\n",
  $characters{'first character'},
  $characters{'third character'};

##</code><code>##

#!/usr/bin/perl

use charnames ":alias" => {
  'first character'  => 0xE000,
  'second character' => 0xE001,
  'third character'  => 0xE002
};

printf "First: %X; third: %X\n",
  ord("\N{first character}"),
  ord("\N{third character}");