All, I'm dealing with data in an "infinate dimension hash", that is, a hash where the number of keys to fetch a value is unknown and is not of an arbitary size. For example I could have:

$DATA{1}{a}{e} = 'snu';
$DATA{2}{a}{f} = 'woo';
$DATA{3}{b}    = 'foo';
$DATA{4}{a}{e} = 'bar';
$DATA{5}{d}    = 'bop';
[download]

I'm writing some functions to work with the data and reading the hash and just particular branches of keys has not been a problem. But I'd like to be able to arbitarily create a branch in this data structure based on a reference to a point in it. So for example, I'd like to be able to do:

put_element($DATA{3}, 'h', 'i', 'worked');
[download]

Which would in effect create the following:

$DATA{3}{h}{i} = 'worked';
[download]

This function would be useful in culling and replacing brances of the data structure, and so on. But, alas, I am having issues. After I call the function that I have written, and then walk the subsiquent hash, it only contains the original seeded values, and not the one I added with my function. I can't figure out what is wrong, or more importantly, how to make it do what I would like. The function, as I have written it, is as follows:

sub put_element
{
  my $current = shift || die("Need root hash reference for put_element
+!"); # reference to the current level
  my $value   = pop   || die("Need value to be put for put_element!");
+     # value to be placed in structure

  $current = $$current{shift(@_)} while (@_ > 0);
  ${$current} = $value;
  return 1;
}
[download]

Any input into where my errors may be is appreciated.

Thanks,
Scott

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