Another method depending on data is XML::Simple.
XMLout can take a filename or filehandle which may reduce memory used during running by immediate output instead of storing (I don't know if it does). XMLin is supposed to always create the original data structure...

It does allow buzzword compliance, and a structure parseable without needing perl.

As to your original question, Data::Dumper may be creating self referential output, this means that is has to remember and constantly process everything that has already passed through it. Read the module docs to find out if this may be happening and what you should do about it (call $OBJ->Reset under the OO interface possibly, depending on how you are doing things).

In reply to Re: Data::Dumper Efficiency Problem by repson
in thread Data::Dumper Efficiency Problem by madhatter

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