Try the following: 
$spec{V20} = 
  {
   delete_code => 1,
   ...
   ordered => 5
  };

[download]
Note the braces around the hash instead of the parens. You get this error when you use parentheses around a list reference instead of square or curly brackets.

The square or curly brackets turn list values into scalar values, while parentheses do not. A parenthesized list, when evaluated in scalar context, throws away the left argument(s). If you had printed your value, you would see that it equals '5', instead of being a hash.

Oddly enough ;), if you picked up Programming Perl, this is explained in the back under 

Useless use of %s in void context.

[download]
My explanation above is almost verbatim.

Cheers,
Ovid

Update: still laughing my head off (ha, ha, thump) at merlyn's response :)

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In reply to (Ovid) Re: useless use of a constant in a void context? by Ovid
in thread useless use of a constant in a void context? by princepawn

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