Please explain ${*$ftp}{'net_ftp_host'} = $host; # Remote hostname

Anonymous Monk has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

I was looking through the code for Net::FTP and I noticed something that looks like a typeglob reference inside the first key to a multi-dimensional hash:

 my $ftp = $pkg->SUPER::new(PeerAddr => $peer, 
                PeerPort => $arg{Port} || 'ftp(21)',
                Proto    => 'tcp',
                Timeout  => defined $arg{Timeout}
                        ? $arg{Timeout}
                        : 120
               ) or return undef;

 ${*$ftp}{'net_ftp_host'}     = $host;        # Remote hostname
 ${*$ftp}{'net_ftp_type'}     = 'A';        # ASCII/binary/etc mode
 ${*$ftp}{'net_ftp_blksize'}  = abs($arg{'BlockSize'} || 10240);
[download]

Would someone mind explaining to me the semantics of this? Thanks in advance.

Comment on Please explain ${*$ftp}{'net_ftp_host'} = $host; # Remote hostname Download Code

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Re: Please explain ${*$ftp}{'net_ftp_host'} = $host; # Remote hostname by btrott (Parson) on Sep 13, 2000 at 23:02 UTC
A Net::FTP object is a blessed typeglob. So that $ftp object is a blessed glob; when you see something like this: `${*$ftp}{'net_ftp_host'}` [download] that dereferences the typeglob, then accesses the hash portion of the glob. There's a (better :) discussion of this in Advanced Perl Programming.	[reply] [d/l]
RE: Re: Please explain ${*$ftp}{'net_ftp_host'} = $host; # Remote hostname by princepawn (Parson) on Sep 13, 2000 at 23:20 UTC
Thanks. By the way, I am the "Anonymous Monk" who posted this question. I did not realize I was using a new browser and had not previously logged in.	[reply]