Now that you're over your immediate problem, I suggest reading the intro to data structures. you can access it by typing "perldoc perldsc" at the command prompt. To see what other topics are available, type "perldoc perl". By no means am I discouraging you from asking questions, though. That's how we learn!
thor
Feel the white light, the light within
Be your own disciple, fan the sparks of will
For all of us waiting, your kingdom will come