I've got a rather perplexing problem.

I have a complex data structure, say:
$configs{images}{attach}{file}="height=19 width=15 src='/images/attach
+/file.gif' border=0";
$configs{images}{attach}{URL}="height=19 width=15 src='/images/attach/
+URL.gif' border=0";
$configs{images}{attach}{edit}="height=19 width=15 src='/images/attach
+/edit.gif' border=0";
$configs{mime_map} = MY::PATH::_get_mime_map ();

[download]
and later on: (although you shouldn't need it to answer this question) 
sub _get_mime_map {
    my $mime_map = { 
                '' => ["application/octet-stream","Unknown binary form
+at"],
      # BEGIN these are non-standard
                'aw' => ["application/applix","Applix Word Document"],
                'as' => ["application/applix","Applix Spreadsheet"],
                'ag' => ["application/applix","Applix Graphic"],
      # END these are non-standard
                'ai' => ["application/postscript","Postscript ai File"
+],
                'aif' => ["audio/x-aiff","Aif File"],
                'asc' => ["text/plain","ASCII Text File"]
return($mime_map);
}

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I want to be able to call $configs->{image}{attach}{$mime_type} and have the html for it presented.
OK, now the problem is, I do NOT want to have to add a $configs{image}{attach} for each mime_type (there are plenty more, as you can imagine).

How can I tell $configs that if a {image}{attach}{UNKNOWN} is called that it doesn't know about, to create one with the same text as the others, but with the image file (at the end of the text) being the same as the missing (UNKNOWN) name (with .gif added)?
Hopefully I am presenting this clearly.

This is all being done in modules, mind you, with $configs being a common object to all the modules.

Any help would be appreciated.

What does this little button do . .<Click>; "USER HAS SIGNED OFF FOR THE DAY"

In reply to Method autovivification with variable values? by tame1

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