$hash{'Me'}->{"name"} = "Me";
$hash{'Me'}->{"number"} = "7.7";
$hash{'Chuck'}->{"name"} = "Chuck";
$hash{'Chuck'}->{"number"} = "7.7";
$hash{'Zed'}->{"name"} = "Zed";
$hash{'Zed'}->{"number"} = "7.7";
$hash{'Wife'}->{"name"} = "Wife";
$hash{'Wife'}->{"number"} = "7.6";
$hash{'Dad'}->{"name"} = "Dad";
$hash{'Dad'}->{"number"} = "53";
$hash{'Michael'}->{"name"} = "Michael";
$hash{'Michael'}->{"number"} = "24";



my @sortedKeys = SortHashByMultipleColumns(\%hash,["number:asc","name:
+asc"]);
        
foreach my $sortedKey(@sortedKeys){
    print $hash{$sortedKey}->{'number'} . " " . $hash{$sortedKey}->{'n
+ame'} . "\n";
}



sub SortHashByMultipleColumns{
    my($hashRef,$sortInfoAR) = @_;
    
    my $sortCriteria;
    
    foreach my $sortInfo(@$sortInfoAR){
        my($sortColumn,$sortDirection) = split(/\:/,$sortInfo);
        
        my $sortType;
        # VERIFY THAT THIS IS A VALID COLUMN
        if(! defined $hashRef->{((keys %$hashRef))[0]}->{$sortColumn})
+{
            print "SortHashByMultipleColumns Error: $sortColumn is not
+ a column in this hash.\n";
            exit(0);
        # VALID COLUMN, FIGURE OUT IF IT IS A NUMERIC COLUMN OR ALPHA
        } else {
            if($hashRef->{((keys %$hashRef))[0]}->{$sortColumn} =~ /^\
+d+/){
                $sortType = "numeric";
            } else {
                $sortType = "alpha";
            }
        }
            
        # want to sort a number 
        if($sortType eq "numeric"){
            # sort it asc
            if($sortDirection =~ /asc/i){
                # add an or if we already have something in the sort c
+riteria
                if($sortCriteria){
                    $sortCriteria .= qq| or |;
                }
                $sortCriteria .= '$hashRef->{$a}->{\'' . $sortColumn .
+ '\'} <=> $hashRef->{$b}->{\'' . $sortColumn . '\'}';
            # sort it desc
            } else {
                # add an or if we already have something in the sort c
+riteria
                if($sortCriteria){
                    $sortCriteria .= qq| or |;
                }
                $sortCriteria .= '$hashRef->{$b}->{\'' . $sortColumn .
+ '\'} <=> $hashRef->{$a}->{\'' . $sortColumn . '\'}';
            }
        # want to sort it by alpha 
        } else {
            # sort it asc
            if($sortDirection =~ /asc/i){
                # add an or if we already have something in the sort c
+riteria
                if($sortCriteria){
                    $sortCriteria .= qq| or |;
                }
                $sortCriteria .= '$hashRef->{$a}->{\'' . $sortColumn .
+ '\'} cmp $hashRef->{$b}->{\'' . $sortColumn . '\'}';
            # sort it desc
            } else {
                # add an or if we already have something in the sort c
+riteria
                if($sortCriteria){
                    $sortCriteria .= qq| or |;
                }
                $sortCriteria .= '$hashRef->{$b}->{\'' . $sortColumn .
+ '\'} cmp $hashRef->{$a}->{\'' . $sortColumn . '\'}';
            }
        }
    }
    
    my $sortfunc = eval "sub { $sortCriteria }";
       my @sortedKeys = sort $sortfunc keys %$hashRef;

    return @sortedKeys;
}
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