{
    area_code => 617,
    zip_code => 02205,
    dow => 0,
    tod => 14
}

##</code><code>##

foreach my $little_string (split(/\|/,$big_string){
    my @little_string_parts = split(/:/,$little_string);
    $result_hashref->{$little_string_parts[2]} = $little_string_parts[3];
}

##</code><code>##

$big_string =~ /special:[0-9]{4}:(.*):(.*)\|special:[0-9]{4}:(.*):(.*)\|special:[0-9]{4}:(.*):(.*)\|special:[0-9]{4}:(.*):(.*)/;
$result_hashref->{$1} = $2;
$result_hashref->{$3} = $4;
$result_hashref->{$5} = $6;
$result_hashref->{$7} = $8;