# for @foo with 100,000 elements, this sort eats 12k of memory
@foo = sort { $foo->{bar} cmp $foo->{bar} } @foo;

# but for the same foo, this sort eats 90M !
@foo = sort @foo;
@foo = sort { $a cmp $b } @foo; # equivalent

##</code><code>##

# requires scads of memory
@array_of_refs = sort { $a cmp $b } @array_of_refs;

# doesn't
@array_of_simple_scalars = sort { \$a cmp \$b }
  @array_of_simple_scalars;

##</code><code>##

# scads
@array_of_stringrefs = sort { ('a: '.$a) cmp ('b: ".$b) }
  @array_of_stringrefs

#scadless
@array_of_stringrefs = sort { ('a: '.$$a) cmp ('b: ".$$b) }
  @array_of_stringrefs