Re: Can't use string ("query") as an ARRAY ref error

"@{ $hash{$query} }" means "the array referenced by the reference stored in $hash{$query}". However, $hash{$query} does not contain a reference to an array. It contains the string "query".

If $hash{$query} is undefined and @{ $hash{$query} } is used as an lvalue (like when it's an argument to push), an array will automatically be created and a reference to that array will be stored in $hash{$query}. This is called autovivification.

Get rid of the line $hash{'query'}= $query; (to allow autovivification).

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Re^2: Can't use string ("query") as an ARRAY ref error by Anonymous Monk on Aug 28, 2009 at 01:18 UTC
Yeah , I have modified the code but my doubt is why it doesnot work when the query itself is "query". it worked fine till the point where the query was like "abc" "perl" etc.	[reply]
Re^3: Can't use string ("query") as an ARRAY ref error by ikegami (Patriarch) on Aug 28, 2009 at 02:49 UTC
What you've showed us can't work if `$query` contains the string "`query`". To get into the "then" part, `$hash{query}` must contain the string "`query`", which will cause the following `@{$hash{$query}}` to fail. If you get into the "else" part, `$hash{query}` is set to the string "`query`", which will cause the following `@{$hash{$query}}` to fail.	[reply] [d/l] [select]