The difference is that print imparts a list context, but the dot operator creates a scalar context. Your sqlExecute() ends with "return @result". An array in a scalar context evaluates to the number of items in the array, but in a list context, it's all the elements of the array.

Update: Here are a couple ways to get what you want without three lines:

The first is better for print, but the second can be useful in other places where you want to interpolate a function call.

In reply to Re^5: Quote-like operators in a hash by kyle
in thread Quote-like operators in a hash by tux402

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