my ($name,$dirs,$final_href) = @_;
    my %data;
    foreach my $dir (@{$dirs})
    {

        decode($dir."/".$name,%data); # will change name
        my $final_href = 
        (
            data => { ( %{$final_href->{data} },%{ $data{data} } ) },
            total => do
            {
                my %total;
                for my $href ( $final_href->{total}, $data{total} ) {
                    $total{$_} += $href->{total}{$_} for keys %{ $href
+->{total} };
                }
            \%total;
            }
        );
[download]

Try googling and understanding "Perl declaration"

Cheers Rolf
_{(addicted to the Perl Programming Language :)
Wikisyntax for the Monastery FootballPerl is like chess, only without the dice}

I do understand why it does not work (it tries to enter into a non-declared element). I just asking what would be the best way to solve it. I can always add non-existing data to $files_href when I declare it but it does not feel right. Anyway, thank you.