( The original content of the OP talked about getting around Can't use string ("0") as a SCALAR ref while "strict refs" by turning off strict. )

Unless you really are trying to access the variable $0, use strict 'refs'; caught a real error. Don't ignore it.

Sounds like you did

$ref = @array;
  or
$hoa{foo} = @array;
  or
$aoa[$i] = @array;
[download]

earlier in your program where you should have done

$ref = \@array;
  or
$hoa{foo} = \@array;
  or
$aoa[$i] = \@array;
[download]

or

$ref = [ @array ];
  or
$hoa{foo} = [ @array ];
  or
$aoa[$i] = [ @array ];
[download]

but would like to not make such a change that could potentially impact other things.

p.s. obligatory link to varvarname

Are you really, really sure that the code in question is using the variable $0? Otherwise, I would assume a plain programming error, where a string was stored in a variable that is then used as a reference, something that strict 'refs' catches, for a reason.

I suspect that you won't be happy to get what you're asking for. If you really do use the string "0" as a scalar ref, you'll be accessing the variable, $0, and I'm not sure why you'd want to do that via reference. So I'm calling XY Problem.

Can you show us more of the code that's having the problem? It would help if you can come up with a minimum snippet that shows the problem.

If you want to turn off strictures for only a small place you can do that in a scope like so.

{
    no strict 'refs';
    print ${$zero};
}
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Without the code it's difficult to be sure. But, it sounds like you are assigning a number to a reference to a scalar instead of to the scalar that's referred to. When the scalar is later dereferenced, a problem occurs.

Using no strict refs is very rarely the right solution to any problem. The few times it makes sense, you would know enough not to be asking the question.

Show the code and the monks can probably do a better job of helping.

Here's the code from your update with <code> tags added.

$processor = `/aa/bin/get_pbind_cpus.ksh`;

# Line 325
system("$os_cmd_table{$^O}{pbind} -b $$processor $$proc_id{$_} >/dev/n
+ull 2>&1") if defined $$processor;
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From this, I think that $processor is being misused as a reference. Line 325 should be:

system("$os_cmd_table{$^O}{pbind} -b $processor $$proc_id{$_} >/dev/nu
+ll 2>&1") if defined $processor;
[download]

Try it and let us know how it works.

Line 325 cant really be modified as it is used many other methods too... can the $processor = `/aa/bin/get_pbind_cpus.ksh`; be modified to populate the processor number correctly?

If it needs to be a reference to a scalar (as it appears it does), then you want this:

my $processor = \`/aa/bin/get_pbind_cpus.ksh`;
[download]

That's kind of odd, however. I'd look at the other usages to see if they really are passing in a scalar reference. I'm not saying it's impossible, but I find it strange since there isn't really any advantage to passing in a reference rather than the variable itself.

I don't have ksh or the commands to test, but it might be a simple as predeclaring the hash %proc_id, but you may need to go a bit deeper depending on how $proc_id{} is setup prior to the command. Just a WAG,

# borrowing from [kyle]'s translation, 
# at program beginning
my %proc_id;

system("$os_cmd_table{$^O}{pbind} -b $processor $$proc_id{$_} >/dev/nu
+ll 2>&1") if defined $processor;
[download]

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