$to = "foo\@bar.com";
$subject = "New CDs now";
$file_name = "AAAAA.txt";
$from = "that\@person.com";
$last_dir = "Spam";

$to = "foo\@bar.com";
$subject = "New CDs now";
$file_name = "CCCCC.txt";
$from = "that\@person.com";
$last_dir = "Spam";

$to = "foo2\@bar.com";
$subject = "New CDs now";
$file_name = "BBBBB.txt";
$from = "that\@person.com";
$last_dir = "Spam";

$to = "foo3\@bar.com";
$subject = "New CDs now";
$file_name = "DDDDD.txt";
$from = "that\@person.com";
$last_dir = "Spam";
[download]

email_slice - foo@bar.com
subject_slice - New CDs now
fn_slice - AAAAA.txt
fn_slice - CCCCC.txt

email_slice - foo2@bar.com
subject_slice - New CDs now
fn_slice - BBBBB.txt

email_slice - foo3@bar.com
subject_slice - New CDs now
fn_slice - DDDDD.txt
[download]

Do something like:

sub add {
    my ($hashref, $to, $subject, $file_name, $from, $last_dir) = @_;

    $hashref -> {$to} ||= { };
    $hashref -> {$to} {$subject} ||= [ ];
    push @{$hashref -> {$to} {$subject}} =>
          {$file_name => {path => $last_dir,
                          from => $from}};
}
[download]

And call it like:

add $spam, 'foo@bar.com', 'New CDs now', 'AAAAA.txt', 'that@person.com
+', 'Spam';
[download]

Abigail

Wow, that's exactly what I needed and it works perfectly also. Need to get back to the books on advanced data structures now. Also have a lot of changing to do to the larger script that is based on this structure

Thank you very much for your help. Wish I could give more than one ++ for this reply.