failing to get a data retrieval in scalar context to function; it would always just return the word again.
I tried your code and using scalar context worked for me, i.e. it returned the data associated with the word, not the word itself. 
use Tree::Trie;
my $trie = new Tree::Trie;
$trie->add_data( word => 'data');
my @sent = $trie->lookup_data('word');
print "List context: @sent\n";
my $data = $trie->lookup_data('word');
print "Scalar context: $data\n";

[download]
Output: 
List context: word data
Scalar context: data

[download]
Maybe you could post up some of your input file? It would help to answer your second question as well.

Update: Is it possible you are using "scalar context" like this:

my ($data) = $trie->lookup_data($fields->[0]);

[download]
If so, that will indeed return the word and not the data, you need to leave out the brackets around $data

In reply to Re: Scalar data & collection data with Tree::Trie by tangent
in thread Scalar data & collection data with Tree::Trie by Endless

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