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@ranked = sort { $a->{FIRST} cmp $b->{FIRST} or $a->{LAST} cmp $b->{LA
+ST} or $a->{AGE} <=> $b->{AGE} } @employees;

#!/usr/bin/perl

use strict;
...
foreach my $emp (@ranked) {
    print "$emp->{SALARY}\t$emp->{AGE}\t$emp->{FIRST}\t$emp->{LAST}\n"
+;
}

$ perl x.pl first age
600000  45      Bill    Gates
...
55000   29      Joe     Tester
600000  41      Steve   Ballmer
600000  45      Bill    Gates

@types{map -$_, keys %types} = map -$_, values %types;

my $sorter = multikeysorter( sub { my $A = $_; map { $A->{s/^-//r} } @
+sort }, @types{@sort} );

$ perl5.14.2 x.pl -age last first
600000  45      Bill    Gates
600000  41      Steve   Ballmer
55000   29      Sally   Developer
55000   29      George  Tester
55000   29      Joe     Tester

my $sorter = multikeysorter( sub { my $A = $_; map { (my $k = $_) =~ s
+/^-//; $A->{$k} } @sort }, @types{@sort} );