is using a hash-slice there. The idea is: to address more then one entry in the hash at once. a simple example:

my %languages;
$languages{'python'} = 'boring';
@languages{'perl', 'perl6'} 
   = ('cool', 'real soon now');
# this is short for
( $languages{'perl'} , $languages{'perl6'} )
    = ('cool', 'real soon now');
# or
$languages{'perl'}  = 'cool';
$languages{'perl6'} = 'real soon now';
[download]

There are also array-slices.

Read perlman:perldata

--
Brigitte    'I never met a chocolate I didnt like'    Jellinek
http://www.horus.com/~bjelli/         http://perlwelt.horus.at