Hello Monks.
Right here is the problem
I have a data structure as follows:

 %HoH = (
         flintstones => {
                lead      => "fred",
                pal       => "barney",
         },
         jetsons     => {
                lead      => "george",
                wife      => "jane",
                "his boy" => "elroy",
         },
         simpsons    => {
                lead      => "homer",
                wife      => "marge",
                kid       => "bart",
         },
      );
[download]

Now, I wish to generate a TEXT table looking like this:

flintstones      jetsons           simpsons
-------------    ---------------   -----------
lead, fred       lead   , george   lead, homer
pal , barney     wife   , jane     wife, marge
                 his boy, elroy    kid , bart
[download]

Ideal place to use formats? You bet. BUT....
I cannot create a format as follows:

format LINE=
@<<<<<,@<<<<<<   @<<<<<,@<<<<<<<<  @<<<<<,@<<<<<<<<
$role1,$name1    $role2,$name2     $role3,$name3
.
[download]

because, I don't know who many "flintstones, jetsons, simpsons, etc. there will be at the time I create the program.
So, I would like to create a format like this:

format LINE=
@<<<<<,@<<<<<<
$role ,$name
.
[download]

Then, when I write the record, I can write the format all on one line over and over while I still have cartoon characters in the HoH.
The effect will be a table in text format.

So there it is.
I know there is the $: operator which gets a brief mention in the perlform docs, and Randall Schwartz mentions some stuff with formats in Learning Perl, but I need something a little more complex.

Thanks monks
Hambo