# Note: Don't prototype () since that won't let you pass args
sub builder {
    my $data = shift;                       # $i in your code I'm keep
+ing in @_

    my %hash = ();
    my $ptr = \%hash;                       # Set up a pointer to %has
+h

    for (my $cur = 0; $cur < $#_; $cur++) {
        $ptr->{$_[$cur]} = {};              # Manipulate using our poi
+nter
        $ptr = $ptr->{$_[$cur]};            # and advance it as we go
    }

    $ptr->{$_[$#_]} = $data;                # Do our last hash
    return %hash;                           # and do what you want wit
+h %hash
}

my %hash = builder('abcde', 'a', 'b', 3);
print $hash{'a'}{'b'}{3};                   # 'abcde'
[download]

This is almost what I wanted. I wanted the builder sub to actually build on the hash though. This seems to replace it. Each successive call to the builder should add to the contents of the hash. BTW, I was the original poster, but my cookies were foob'd.

what you want is not possible, because you can't have a single hash key retrieve both a plain scalar and a hash reference.

my %hash;

$hash{foo} = 'bar';

# the following replaces the value of $hash{foo} with a hash reference
$hash{foo}{bar} = 'baz';

# the following is equivalent
$hash{foo} = { bar => 'baz' };
[download]

so, if someone did: builder('baz', [ 'foo', 'bar' ]); it would wipe out the effect of: builder('bar', [ 'foo' ]);

Pass the hash as a reference instead of using %hash, and on the line where it assigns the $ptr->{$key} = {} add something like "unless ref($ptr->{$key}) eq 'HASH'" or something.. that will probably wipe out any existing values you put in there though.. e.g.:

builder(\%test, 'abc', 1, 2);     # $test{1}{2} = 'abc'
builder(\%test, 'def', 1, 2, 3);  # $test{1}{2} is now a hashref, not 
+'abc'
[download]