How about creating an array of hashes (@records) like this: 
#!/usr/bin/perl -wT
use strict;

my (@records,%tmprecord);
while (<DATA>) {
  my ($id,$field,$data) = (split(/[\s:]+/));

  if ($field) {
    $tmprecord{$field} = $data;
  } else {
    push(@records,{%tmprecord}); # OR PERHAPS '$records[$id] = {%tmpre
+cord};'
    undef %tmprecord;
  }
}

for my $record (@records) {
  print "$_ => $record->{$_}\n" for (keys %$record);
  print "\n";
}

__DATA__
237 : AMAFILE:          AMA210
238 : STATUS:            NETWORK
239 : DATE CREATED:      9/20/01
240 :
241 : AMAFILE:          AMA211
242 : STATUS:            NETWORK
243 : DATE CREATED:      9/20/01
244 :
245 : AMAFILE:          AMA212
246 : STATUS:            NETWORK
247 : DATE CREATED:      9/20/01
248 :
249 : AMAFILE:          AMA213
250 : STATUS:             CLOSED
251 : DATE CREATED:      9/20/01
252 :
253 : AMAFILE:          AMA214
254 : STATUS:               OPEN
255 : DATE CREATED:      9/20/01

[download]

-Blake

In reply to Re: Suggestions on how to make array of hashes with this... by blakem
in thread Suggestions on how to make array of hashes with this... by snafu

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