#!/usr/bin/perl -w
use strict;
use Data::Dumper;

my %hash = ( 
            x => 'line 1',
            z => [ 1, 16, 4, 2 ],
            y => { file=> 'test.txt',
                  length=> 200,
                  type => 'ASCII'
                 },
            c => [ 'j', 'a', 'p', 'h' ],
            b => [ {x => 1, a => 2, z => 3},
                    {1 => 'x', 2 => 'a', 3 => 'z'},
                  ],
            a => [ [0,1],[1,1],[-1,1],[-1,-1] ]
            );


my $dump = Dumper(\%hash);
print "Sorted:\n", sort_dumper($dump,'auto',1);
print "\nRaw:\n", $dump;

# this sub will return sorted standard Data::Dumper output. 
# an alphabetic sort is the default setting, example:
# sort_dumper( Dumper(\%hash) );
# numeric sort if called with a true second argument, example: 
# sort_dumper( Dumper(\%hash), 1 );
# an automatic sort choice based on first char in first element
# is done if the second param is specified as 'auto', example: 
# sort_dumper( Dumper(\%hash), 'auto' );
# arrays will be sorted if you pass a true third param
# example (alpha sort, including sorting array elements):
# sort_dumper( Dumper(\%hash), 0, 1 );
# to sort everything automatically you call it:
# sort_dumper( Dumper(\%hash), 'auto', 1 );

sub sort_dumper {
    my ($dump, $numeric, $array) = @_;
    my %pairs = $array ? ('['=>']', '{'=>'}') : ('{'=>'}');
    # get opening details
    my ($start, $open, $indent) = $dump =~ m/^(.+(.)\n)(\s*)\S/;
  return $dump unless $open and exists $pairs{$open};
    # get closing details
    my ($close) = $dump =~ m/^(\s*$pairs{$open}.?\n)\z/m;
    # get the key value assignments into an array
    $dump =~ s/^\Q$start\E|\Q$close\E\z//g;
    my @array;
    push @array, $1 while $dump =~ m/^($indent(\S).*?)(?=^$indent(?:\2
+|\d)|\z)/msg;
    $_ = sort_dumper($_,$numeric,$array) for @array;
    # add trailing comma to last element
    $array[-1] =~ s/\n$/,\n/;
    # sort our key value chunks, numeric or alpha depending
    # choose automatically if specified and use the Schzartzian 
    # transform for efficiency on numeric sort to get digits
    $numeric = $array[0] =~ m/^\s*'?\d/ if $numeric eq 'auto';
    @array = $numeric ? map{$_->[0]}sort{$a->[1]<=>$b->[1]}map{[$_,num
+($_)]}@array :
                        sort @array;
    sub num { $_[0] =~ m/(-?\d+)/; $1 || 0 }
    # remove trailing comma from (new) last element
    $array[-1] =~ s/,\n$/\n/;
  return join'', $start, @array, $close;
}
__END__
Sorted:
$VAR1 = {
          'a' => [
                   [
                     -1,
                     -1
                   ],
                   [
                     -1,
                     1
                   ],
                   [
                     0,
                     1
                   ],
                   [
                     1,
                     1
                   ]
                 ],
          'b' => [
                   {
                     '1' => 'x',
                     '2' => 'a',
                     '3' => 'z'
                   },
                   {
                     'a' => 2,
                     'x' => 1,
                     'z' => 3
                   }
                 ],
          'c' => [
                   'a',
                   'h',
                   'j',
                   'p'
                 ],
          'x' => 'line 1',
          'y' => {
                   'file' => 'test.txt',
                   'length' => 200,
                   'type' => 'ASCII'
                 },
          'z' => [
                   1,
                   2,
                   4,
                   16
                 ]
        };

Raw:
$VAR1 = {
          'x' => 'line 1',
          'a' => [
                   [
                     0,
                     1
                   ],
                   [
                     1,
                     1
                   ],
                   [
                     -1,
                     1
                   ],
                   [
                     -1,
                     -1
                   ]
                 ],
          'y' => {
                   'length' => 200,
                   'file' => 'test.txt',
                   'type' => 'ASCII'
                 },
          'b' => [
                   {
                     'x' => 1,
                     'a' => 2,
                     'z' => 3
                   },
                   {
                     '1' => 'x',
                     '2' => 'a',
                     '3' => 'z'
                   }
                 ],
          'z' => [
                   1,
                   16,
                   4,
                   2
                 ],
          'c' => [
                   'j',
                   'a',
                   'p',
                   'h'
                 ]
        };
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