%dest = (); %source = ( very_long_key_name => 1, another_key => 2 ); %names = ( 1 => 'name1', 2 => 'name2' ); #### $dest{name} = $names{ $source{very_long_key_name} }; #### $dest{name} = exists $source{very_long_key_name} ? $names{ $source{very_long_key_name} } : ''; #### $dest{name} = not exists $source{very_long_key_name} ? '' : $names{ $source{very_long_key_name} }; #### print "name code = $source{very_long_key_name}\n"; # 1 print "converted = $names{ $source{very_long_key_name} }\n"; # name1 print "dest name = $dest{name}\n"; # 1 #### $dest{'name'} = (! (exists($source{'very_long_key_name'}) ? '' : $names{$source{'very_long_key_name'}} ) ); #### $dest{name} = (not exists $source{very_long_key_name}) ? '' : $names{ $source{very_long_key_name} }; print $dest{name}; # name1