(my $timestamp,my $page,my $userURL,etc) = split('\|',$line); my ($timestamp,$page,$userURL,etc) = split('\|',$line); # which is much cleaner. #### my ($var1,$var2,$var3) = ('','',''); my ($var4,$var5,$var6); #### my %hits for (....) { .. $hits{$page} = [0,0,0,0] unless exists $hits{$page}; $hits($page}[0]++; .. } #### print $pages{"page1"}->[1]; print $pages{"page1'}[1];