Probably you should use hashes for this kind of data structures, but if you want to use the array method you could do something like:

my $cmd = 'south';
my @array = ( 'north#library , 'south#kitchen', 'east#hallway');
my ($location) = map {m/\#(.*?)$/; $1} grep {m/^$cmd\#/} @array || pri
+nt "some error message";
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Of course this will only return the first array element matching the command.
If the command is not unique do something like:

my @possibilities = map {} grep {} @array || ...
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--
Jaap Karssenberg || Pardus (Larus)? <pardus@cpan.org>
>>>> Zoidberg: So many memories, so many strange fluids gushing out of patients' bodies.... <<<<