my $hashvar = {
               emp => {},
               hemp => {
                        splay => {},
                        hay   => {
                                  go => 1,
                                  ho => {},
                                  },
                        tay   => [],
                        may   => [ 'way' ],
                       },
               };

sub HashClean {
    my ($hashref) = @_;
    if (ref ($hashref) eq "HASH") {
        foreach my $key (keys %$hashref) {
print "W $key\n";
            if (ref ($hashref->{$key}) eq "HASH") {
print "HR $key\n";
                if (keys (%{$hashvar->{$key}})) {
print "HC $key\n";
                    &HashClean($hashref->{$key});
                }#if
                else {
print "HD $key\n";
                    delete $hashref->{$key};
                }#else
            }#if
            if (ref $hashref->{$key} eq "ARRAY") {
print "AR $key\n";
                if ($#{$hashvar->{$key}}) {
print "AC $key $#{$hashvar->{$key}}\n";
                    &HashClean($hashref->{$key});
                }#if
                else {
print "AD $key\n";
                    delete $hashref->{$key};
                }#else
            }#if
        }#foreach
    }#if
    else {
        foreach my $key (@$hashref) {
            if (ref ($hashref->[$key]) eq "HASH") {
                if (keys (%{$hashvar->[$key]})) {
                    &HashClean($hashref->[$key]);
                }#if
                else {
#                    delete $hashref->[$key];
                }#else
            }#if
            if (ref $hashref->[$key] eq "ARRAY") {
                if ($#{$hashvar->[$key]}) {
                    &HashClean($hashref->[$key]);
                }#if
                else {
#                    delete $hashref->[$key];
                }#else
            }#if
        }#foreach
    }#else
}#sub

print Data::Dumper->Dump([$hashvar],[qw (::hashvar)]);

&HashClean($hashvar);

print Data::Dumper->Dump([$hashvar],[qw (::hashvar)]);

##</code><code>##

$::hashvar = {
               'hemp' => {
                           'may' => [
                                      'way'
                                    ],
                           'tay' => [],
                           'hay' => {
                                      'ho' => {},
                                      'go' => 1
                                    },
                           'splay' => {}
                         },
               'emp' => {}
             };
W hemp
HR hemp
HC hemp
W may
AR may
AC may -1
W tay
AR tay
AC tay -1
W hay
HR hay
HD hay
W splay
HR splay
HD splay
W emp
HR emp
HD emp
$::hashvar = {
               'may' => [],
               'hemp' => {
                           'may' => [
                                      'way'
                                    ],
                           'tay' => []
                         },
               'hay' => {},
               'tay' => [],
               'splay' => {}
             };

##</code><code>##

sub HashClean {
    my ($hashref) = @_;
    my $deletes = 0;
    if (ref ($hashref) eq "HASH") {
        foreach my $key (keys %$hashref) {
            if (ref ($hashref->{$key}) eq "HASH") {
                if (keys (%{$hashref->{$key}})) {
                    $deletes += &HashClean($hashref->{$key});
                }#if
                else {
                    delete $hashref->{$key};
                    $deletes++;
                }#else
            }#if
            if (ref $hashref->{$key} eq "ARRAY") {
                if ($#{$hashref->{$key}} >= 0) {
                    $deletes += &HashClean($hashref->{$key});
                }#if
                else {
                    delete $hashref->{$key};
                    $deletes++;
                }#else
            }#if
        }#foreach
    }#if
    else {
        my $arraynum = 0;
        for (my $arraynum = 0; $arraynum <= $#$hashref; $arraynum++) {
            if (ref ($hashref->[$arraynum]) eq "HASH") {
                if (keys (%{$hashref->[$arraynum]})) {
                    $deletes += &HashClean($hashref->[$arraynum]);
                }#if
                else {
                    delete $hashref->[$arraynum];
                    $deletes++;
                }#else
            }#if
            if (ref $hashref->[$arraynum] eq "ARRAY") {
                if ($#{$hashref->[$arraynum]} >= 0) {
                    $deletes += &HashClean($hashref->[$arraynum]);
                }#if
                else {
                    delete $hashref->[$arraynum];
                    $deletes++;
                }#else
            }#if
        }#for
    }#else
    &HashClean($hashref) if $deletes;
    return $deletes;
}#sub