$hash{'Me'}->{"name"} = "Me";
$hash{'Me'}->{"number"} = "7.7";
$hash{'Chuck'}->{"name"} = "Chuck";
$hash{'Chuck'}->{"number"} = "7.7";
$hash{'Zed'}->{"name"} = "Zed";
$hash{'Zed'}->{"number"} = "7.7";
$hash{'Wife'}->{"name"} = "Wife";
$hash{'Wife'}->{"number"} = "7.6";
$hash{'Dad'}->{"name"} = "Dad";
$hash{'Dad'}->{"number"} = "53";
$hash{'Michael'}->{"name"} = "Michael";
$hash{'Michael'}->{"number"} = "24";



my @sortedKeys = SortHashByMultipleColumns(\%hash,["number:asc","name:asc"]);
		
foreach my $sortedKey(@sortedKeys){
	print $hash{$sortedKey}->{'number'} . " " . $hash{$sortedKey}->{'name'} . "\n";
}



sub SortHashByMultipleColumns{
	my($hashRef,$sortInfoAR) = @_;
	
	my $sortCriteria;
	
	foreach my $sortInfo(@$sortInfoAR){
		my($sortColumn,$sortDirection) = split(/\:/,$sortInfo);
		
		my $sortType;
		# VERIFY THAT THIS IS A VALID COLUMN
		if(! defined $hashRef->{((keys %$hashRef))[0]}->{$sortColumn}){
			print "SortHashByMultipleColumns Error: $sortColumn is not a column in this hash.\n";
			exit(0);
		# VALID COLUMN, FIGURE OUT IF IT IS A NUMERIC COLUMN OR ALPHA
		} else {
			if($hashRef->{((keys %$hashRef))[0]}->{$sortColumn} =~ /^\d+/){
				$sortType = "numeric";
			} else {
				$sortType = "alpha";
			}
		}
			
		# want to sort a number 
		if($sortType eq "numeric"){
			# sort it asc
			if($sortDirection =~ /asc/i){
				# add an or if we already have something in the sort criteria
				if($sortCriteria){
					$sortCriteria .= qq| or |;
				}
				$sortCriteria .= '$hashRef->{$a}->{\'' . $sortColumn . '\'} <=> $hashRef->{$b}->{\'' . $sortColumn . '\'}';
			# sort it desc
			} else {
				# add an or if we already have something in the sort criteria
				if($sortCriteria){
					$sortCriteria .= qq| or |;
				}
				$sortCriteria .= '$hashRef->{$b}->{\'' . $sortColumn . '\'} <=> $hashRef->{$a}->{\'' . $sortColumn . '\'}';
			}
		# want to sort it by alpha 
		} else {
			# sort it asc
			if($sortDirection =~ /asc/i){
				# add an or if we already have something in the sort criteria
				if($sortCriteria){
					$sortCriteria .= qq| or |;
				}
				$sortCriteria .= '$hashRef->{$a}->{\'' . $sortColumn . '\'} cmp $hashRef->{$b}->{\'' . $sortColumn . '\'}';
			# sort it desc
			} else {
				# add an or if we already have something in the sort criteria
				if($sortCriteria){
					$sortCriteria .= qq| or |;
				}
				$sortCriteria .= '$hashRef->{$b}->{\'' . $sortColumn . '\'} cmp $hashRef->{$a}->{\'' . $sortColumn . '\'}';
			}
		}
	}
	
	my $sortfunc = eval "sub { $sortCriteria }";
   	my @sortedKeys = sort $sortfunc keys %$hashRef;

	return @sortedKeys;
}