0+ is a numeric operation; add 0 to $new. And $new contains an array reference, which stringifies as something like ARRAY(0x1427fc8), and numerifies as something like 28299208. So 0+ forces a numeric representation of the array reference held in $new.

Far more than you ever wanted to know (but you did ask, so...) about stringification and numerification is detailed in perldata. Perl's "duck typing" means that if you treat something like a string, Perl will do what it can to make a string of it. If you treat something as a number, Perl will do what it can to make a number of it.

Thank you Dave. I thought it was doing something like as you explained. I just needed some confirmation from more experienced people like you. In regards to my other question, what is the syntax doing when you use:

 $hash{$_} = $new for $a, $b;

Is this assigning the value of $a and $b as keys for $new as the value in the hash table?

Inside a foreach loop (for is synonymous with foreach) the $_ variable is aliased to each element of the list over which you are iterating. Sometimes it's called the "topic" variable, because it is the topic of each loop iteration unless you explicitly specify another variable. The code you demonstrated is equivalent to this:

foreach ( $a, $b ) {
  $hash{$_} = $new;
}
[download]

...which is about the same as...

foreach my $item_alias ( $a, $b ) {
  $hash{$item_alias} = $new;
}
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...which can be unrolled as...

$hash{$a} = $new;
$hash{$b} = $new;
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A foreach loop that contains a simple statement in its block can be inverted to $hash{$_} = $new foreach $a, $b;, and further shortened with for. This should be discussed in greater (and possibly more accurate) detail in perlsyn.




Dave

It is equivalent to:

$hash{$a} = $new; 
$hash{$b} = $new;
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             When in doubt, mumble; when in trouble, delegate; when in charge, ponder. -- James H. Boren

The best way to find out is to print the results as you go:

new is: ARRAY(0x2491b4)
 0+new is:2396596
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As for line three, note that there is a for in there which loops over ($a, $b).

@Suicide - I'm not trying to find what the value is but what does it do? What does 0+ do to $new?

Uggh ... that is one bad code smell ... basically in that context you're getting the memory address of the reference value and using it as the key for the hash.

-derby

Since no one's said it yet, I'll mention that $a and $b aren't usually used as variable names in Perl, as they are special variables inside a sort block.

And, as other people have mentioned, this code smells badly. Very badly.