in reply to SDBM_File and complex data structures

No hash can really store complex data structures, they can store references to them, which is why when SDBM_File serializes the data structure, what gets stored as a value instead of a reference is its string value (print [] prints ARRAY(0x225240), but $a="ARRAY(0x225240)"; is not an array reference).
What you should investigate is MLDBM (pay attention to the BUGS ).
it tells me that 'key' is a ref to an array
No it doesn't. `perldoc -f ref'

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Re^2: SDBM_File and complex data structures
by muba (Priest) on Oct 10, 2004 at 12:40 UTC
    I see. Ok, I will check MLDBM.

    Indeed, that print statement did not explicitly tell me it was a ref to an array, technically, but I would then like to call it... "ref at first sight" :)

    Well, thank you for your quick reply.




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Re^2: SDBM_File and complex data structures
by tilly (Archbishop) on Oct 11, 2004 at 16:59 UTC
    MLDBM and SDBM_File is a dangerous combination because the former creates long values out of nested data structure and the latter truncates those, resulting in data loss.

    In this situation I'd recommend a safer solution. Like DBM::Deep.

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