if you wouldn't mind refactoring thatroutine, this works: 

sub thatroutine(\$) { # do something to ${$_[0]} }

sub thisroutine
{
     return $_ if thatroutine local $_;
     ...
     my $namedvar;
     return $namedvar if thatroutine $namedvar;
}

[download]
Ugly as hell but it appears to work.

In reply to Re: looking for a good idiom: return this if this is true by redlemon
in thread looking for a good idiom: return this if this is true by merlyn

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