sub generate_hash {
    my $self;
    if ( ref $_[0] && @_ == 4 ) {
        # We were called as a method
        $self = shift;        
    }
    my ($i, $j, $k) = @_;    
}

##</code><code>##

sub new {
    my $class = shift;
    my $self = {};
    bless $self, $class;
    $self->_initialize(@_);
    return $self;
}
sub _initialize {
    my $self = shift;
    # Do stuff with @_
}