Yes, I see. I suppose the logic of my approach is to add another level *throughout* the hash. Then it does get quite big, though it also remains logical and regular in a slightly obsessive-compulsive way. Untested:

sub get_branch_function {
    my $query = shift;

    my $action  = $query->param('action') ? $query->param('action') : 
+'default';
    my $update = $query->param('update') ? 'update' : 'default';
    my $confirm = $query->param('confirm') ? 'confirm' : 'default';
    my $commit  = $query->param('commit')  ? 'commit' : 'default';

    my %dispatch = (
        add => {
            update => {
                confirm => {
                    commit  => \&commit_dialog,
                    default => \&add_dialog,
                },
                default => {
                    commit  => \&add_dialog,
                    default => \&add_dialog,
                },
            },
            default => {
                confirm => {
                    commit  => \&commit_dialog,
                    default => \&add_dialog,
                },
                default => {
                    commit  => \&add_dialog,
                    default => \&add_dialog,
                },
            },
        },
        remove => {
            update => {
                confirm => {
                    commit  => \&commit_dialog,
                    default => \&confirm_dialog,
                },
                default => {
                    commit  => \&choose_dialog,
                    default => \&choose_dialog,
                },
            },
            default => {
                confirm => {
                    commit  => \&commit_dialog,
                    default => \&confirm_dialog,
                },
                default => {
                    commit  => \&choose_dialog,
                    default => \&choose_dialog,
                },
            },
        },
        modify => {
            update => {
                confirm => {
                    commit  => \&commit_dialog,
                    default => \&confirm_dialog,
                },
                default => {
                    commit  => \&choose_dialog,
                    default => \&choose_dialog,
                },
            },
            default => {
                confirm => {
                    commit  => \&choose_dialog,
                    default => \&choose_dialog,
                },
                default => {
                    commit  => \&choose_dialog,
                    default => \&choose_dialog,
                },
            },
        },
        default => {
            update => {
                confirm => {
                    commit  => \&action_dialog,
                    default => \&action_dialog,
                },
                default => {
                    commit  => \&action_dialog,
                    default => \&action_dialog,
                },
            },
            default => {
                confirm => {
                    commit  => \&action_dialog,
                    default => \&action_dialog,
                },
                default => {
                    commit  => \&action_dialog,
                    default => \&action_dialog,
                },
            },
        },
    );

    return $dispatch{ $action }{ $update }{ $confirm }{ $commit };
}
[download]

§ George Sherston