@dogs = "dollar", "mack"; %myHash = {animals => @dogs, age = 5, names=> "fluffy"}; gives the following output =) $VAR1 = [ [ [ 'array', 'dogs' ], [ [ 'arrayelement', [ 'identifier', 'dollar' ] ], [ 'arrayelement', [ 'identifier', 'mack' ] ] ] ], [ 'hash', 'myHash', [ [ 'hashelement', 'animals', [ 'array', 'dogs' ] ], [ 'hashelement', 'age', [ 'literal', '5' ] ], [ 'hashelement', 'names', [ 'identifier', 'fluffy' ] ] ] ] ];