Dear experts: The line 
   $value = $hashref->{$fieldnum};
is triggering the 2 errors 
   Argument "$/  1l" isn't numeric in hash element
   Bad index while coercing array into hash
The program then halts.

The value "$/ 1l" is the correct $value for the $fieldnum key. In other words, both the key and the element are correct.

I don't understand the problem here. Elements need not be numeric. And why is Perl trying to use the element as an argument? And to what?

I thought it might be the $ which is the first data character, but the same line of code handles similar data OK before it gets to this one.

Many thanks for any insights!

In reply to Argument isn't numeric in hash element by Stephen Toney

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