script 1 foreach (qw/a b c d/){$hash{$_}++}; print keys %hash, "\n"; print keys %{$hash{'wrong'}}; print keys %hash, "\n"; OUTPUT: cabd cwrongabd --------------------------------- script 2 foreach (qw/a b c d/){$hash{$_}++}; print keys %hash, "\n"; print $hash{'wrong'}; print keys %hash, "\n"; OUTPUT: cabd cabd