If it makes it easier for you, then that's a good thing. I'm having a hard time understanding how having four arrays which are closely related is better than having a hash of four arrays.

Of course, without actually seeing an example of what your code is doing, I can only respomd in the most general of terms. I may not even be really clear on just what you do have. The way I understand things from your descriptions, though, there would be many things I would do that would make it easier for my own understanding if I were doing the coding. You and I may just think in different ways.