Thanks! I think I got freaked out by the Perl Cookbook's lengthy example as to how to use file locking with Storable, but now that I've looked at the outstanding documentation for the module I see there's even a lock_store function (and lock_nstore for a more portable though slightly slower solution) that apparently would replace those details (and lock_retrieve). Sometimes the Cookbook (2003) tells me more than I need to know, but Time Marches On and I forget that the state of the art is different than when the second edition of the Cookbook was published 18 years ago. It's still the book I typically reach for first.

Would a comma-separated data format work in my example? Each student "record" has a key that holds multiple values (the student's hobbies), so I'm thinking there isn't a key-to-scalar-value relationship that's required for a CSV format.

Of course CSV would suffice for the example you gave, but it will be a lot more complicated if you have nested structures.

You can combine all the given examples, e.g. use the Database example by using DBD::CSV or next level, tie that CSV database handle with Tie::Hash::DBD and use your hash without changing the rest of your program.

One advice: don't underestimate how "simple" CSV is. *do* use a module, like Text::CSV_XS and/or Text::CSV.

For the hobbies, you would either require a serialization like Sereal or Storable.

If hobbies is the *only* field with multiple values, just drop them at the end of the record, so you can restore them lik

use 5.14.2;
use warnings;

use Text::CSV_XS "csv";
use Data::Peek;

my $data = csv (in => *DATA);
my @hdr  = @{shift @$data};
my $n    = $#hdr;
my @students = map {
    my %h;
    @h{@hdr} = splice @$_, 0 , $n;
    $h{hobbies} = [ @$_ ];
    \%h,
    } @$data;

DDumper \@students;
__END__
name,home_town,age,hobbies
Angie Green,Denver,12,Horses,Painting,Karaoke,Ham Radio
Jamie Brown,London,34
Mark White,Madrid,56,Cooking,Perl,Running
Mary Black,Dublin,30,Baking,Singing,Swimming,Programming Perl
[download]

-->

[
    {   age              => '12',
        hobbies          => [
            'Horses',
            'Painting',
            'Karaoke',
            'Ham Radio'
            ],
        home_town        => 'Denver',
        name             => 'Angie Green'
        },
    {   age              => '34',
        hobbies          => [],
        home_town        => 'London',
        name             => 'Jamie Brown'
        },
    {   age              => '56',
        hobbies          => [
            'Cooking',
            'Perl',
            'Running'
            ],
        home_town        => 'Madrid',
        name             => 'Mark White'
        },
    {   age              => '30',
        hobbies          => [
            'Baking',
            'Singing',
            'Swimming',
            'Programming Perl'
            ],
        home_town        => 'Dublin',
        name             => 'Mary Black'
        }
    ]
[download]

use Text::CSV_XS "csv";

Enjoy, Have FUN! H.Merijn