#!/usr/bin/perl -wT
use strict;

# hash key lookup using the actual hash (no reference)
my %foo = (bar => 'data');
my $val = $foo{bar};      # fetch the scalar key (hence the '$' infron
+t of foo) from the hash
print "Val  => $val\n";

# hash key lookup using a referent to the hash (hard reference)
my %hash = (bar => 'data2');
my $foo = \%hash;
my $val2 = $foo->{bar};   # can also be written '$$foo{bar}';
print "Val2 => $val2\n";

# using symbolic (soft) references
use vars qw($foo $bar);
$bar = 'data3';
$foo = 'bar';
my $val3;
{
  no strict 'refs';     # 'use strict' won't allow this
  $val3 = $$foo;        # find the data by treating the value of $foo 
+as a var name
}
print "Val3 => $val3\n";

=output
Val  => data
Val2 => data2
Val3 => data3
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-Blake

thank you very much for taking the time to answer my questions. your help is very appreciated!

$bar = 3;
$foo = 'bar';
$baz = $$foo; # This now sets $baz = $bar, or 3.
[download]

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We are the carpenters and bricklayers of the Information Age.

Don't go borrowing trouble. For programmers, this means Worry only about what you need to implement.

you guys rule. thanks for taking the time to answer my questions!