#!/usr/bin/perl -wl use strict; my $hashref = { foo => { bar => 'xyzzy' } }; sub name_me { # Note: there is no $hashref->{foo}{foo} return \ $hashref->{foo}{foo}; } $a = name_me(); print $a; print $$a; print ${ name_me() } #### SCALAR(0x184068) Use of uninitialized value in print at bar.pl line 15. Use of uninitialized value in print at bar.pl line 17. #### $ perl -e 'do() || ! do() ;' Undefined subroutine &main::try