If I am reading this correctly, you are having an issue with string interpolation - see Quote and Quote like Operators. The presence of single quotes in your string is interfering with proper interpretation of your desired output. I think you will get your expected results with

print "\"$topHash{$ryear}{$rmonth}{$rday}{$rhour}{$rminute}\"\n";

As you code stands now, you are literally passing the keys $ryear ("\$ryear"), $rmonth ("\$rmonth"), ... and you have not defined an entry for any of those keys. This is demonstrated in the following script: 

#!/usr/bin/perl
use strict;
use warnings;
use Data::Dumper;

my %hash = (1 => {1 => 1});
my $key = '1';

print "$hash{'$key'}{'$key'}\n";
print Dumper(\%hash);

[download]

with output 

Use of uninitialized value in concatenation (.) or string at junk.pl l
+ine 9.

$VAR1 = {
          '1' => {
                   '1' => 1
                 },
          '$key' => {}
        };

[download]

Note how the inappropriate interpolation has resulted in the autovivification of the hash key '$key'.

In reply to Re: hash of hash of hash of hash of hash... by kennethk
in thread hash of hash of hash of hash of hash... by elofland

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