The Scalar::Util module provides a function reftype for this. It's somewhat more robust than the built-in ref function. 

use Scalar::Util 'reftype';

my $reftype = reftype $x;

if ( !defined $reftype ) {
    print "\$x is not a reference.\n";
}
elsif ( $reftype eq 'HASH' ) {
    # do something with %$x
}
elsif ( $reftype eq 'ARRAY' ) {
    # do something with @$x
}
elsif ( $reftype eq 'SCALAR' ) {
    # do something with $$x
}
else {
    # do something else
}
# ...

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In reply to Re: How do I determine the type of a reference? by Mr. Muskrat
in thread How do I determine the type of a reference? by Anonymous Monk

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