$a{test}="very ";
$a{test}{this}="strange";

print $a{test};
print $a{test}{this};

##</code><code>##

$a{test}="very ";
$a{test}->{this}="strange";
 
print $a{test};
print very->{this}; #### ?????

##</code><code>##

delete $a{test}