This method is called "soft references". It is a capability of Perl, but there are very few reasons to actually use it. In nearly every isntance, hashes are much better, safer, and cleaner. There are many reasons why soft references don't compile under strict. Unless you know exactly why you shouldn't use soft references, DON'T USE SOFT REFERENCES!

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We are the carpenters and bricklayers of the Information Age.

The idea is a little like C++ templates, except not quite so brain-meltingly complicated. -- TheDamian, Exegesis 6

Please remember that I'm crufty and crochety. All opinions are purely mine and all code is untested, unless otherwise specified.