I'm sorry, Alakaboo, you didn't understand what I wrote at all.

Given the precedence rules, @$x->{y} is not the same as @{$x->{y}}. Rather, it's the same as (@$x)->{y}. Look at the output of -Dx and -Dts if you don't believe me.

In fact, now that I try a simple test, the original code can't work:

$ perl -le '$x={y=>[1]}; print @$x->{y}'       
Not an ARRAY reference at -e line 1.
$ perl -le '$x={y=>[1]}; print @{$x->{y}}'
1
[download]

So let's see the full code to the original, OK?

    -- Chip Salzenberg, Free-Floating Agent of Chaos