my @dirs = ( '0555-DDBB/AirPhotos', '0555-DDBB/AirPhotos/AP Labels', '0555-DDBB/AirPhotos/new database', '0555-DDBB/FOO M', '0555-DDBB/FOO M/0555-055-01 Site/Photos', '0555-DDBB/FOO M/0555-055-01 Site/Photos/Digital', '0555-DDBB/FOO M/0555-055-01 Site/Photos/PhotoList', '0555-DDBB/FOO M/0555-055-01 Site/Reports/Summary', '0555-DDBB/FOO M/0555-055-01 Site/Reports/Daily', '0555-DDBB/FOO M/0555-055-02 Design', '0555-DDBB/FOO M/0555-055-02 Design/photo', '0555-DDBB/FOO M/0555-055-02 Design/photo/Ortho', '0555-DDBB/FOO M/0555-055-02 Design/Correspondance', '0555-DDBB/FOO M/0555-055-02 Design/Drafting', '0555-DDBB/FOO M/0555-055-02 Design/Drafting/DWG', ); use strict; my %tree; for my $d (@dirs) { my $n = \%tree; $n = ($n->{$_} = exists $n->{$_} ? $$n{$_} : {}) for split('/', $d); } print_tree(\%tree, 0); sub print_tree { my($tree, $indent) = @_; for(keys %$tree) { print " " x $indent, $_, $/; print_tree($tree->{$_}, $indent + 1) if ref $tree->{$_} and keys %{$tree->{$_}} > 0; } } __output__ 0555-DDBB AirPhotos AP Labels new database FOO M 0555-055-02 Design Drafting DWG photo Ortho Correspondance 0555-055-01 Site Reports Daily Summary Photos Digital PhotoList