200326951|_|rel_Access1|_|200315482|_| 200326951|_|rel_Access1|_|200315786|_| 200326951|_|rel_Access2|_|200315482|_| 200326951|_|rel_Access2|_|200315786|_| #### my %hash; open(CMD1, "< test.txt"); while () { my @elts = split(/\|_\|/, $_, -1); my $p = \\%hash; $p = \( ${$p}->{$_} ) for @elts; } use Data::Dumper; print Dumper(\%hash); #### $VAR1 = { '200326951' => { 'rel_Access2' => { '200315482' => { '' => undef }, '200315786' => undef }, 'rel_Access1' => { '200315482' => { '' => undef }, '200315786' => { '' => undef } } } }; #### $VAR1 = { '200326951' => { 'rel_Access2' => '200315786' }, 'rel_Access1' => '200315482' } };