In addition to the answers above it is possible to pass arrays and hashes by reference without using a \. The way to do this is to define a function with a prototype as explained in perlsub.

For a more complete explanation I can recommend FMTYEWTK About Prototypes, which says in detail what they are, where they are buggy, and the various design flaws that make them something to avoid on the whole.

In reply to Re: Is it possible to do pass by reference in Perl? by tilly
in thread Is it possible to do pass by reference in Perl? by Anonymous Monk

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