sub get_index (\@$) { 
  my ($a, $e) = @_; 
  my $i = 0; 
  for (@$a) { return $i if $e eq $_; $i++; } 
  return -1; 
}
[download]

I don't like code like this because you've got two things in that loop that are being kept in sync only coincidentally: the iteration of the foreach, and the incrementing of the index. I'd let there be one thing, and use the indirection to ensure consistency:

sub get_index (\@$) {
  my ($a, $e) = @_;
  for (my $i = 0; $i <= $#$a; $i++) {
    return $i if $e eq $a->[$i];
  }
  return -1;
}
[download]

This is clearer to me. Simple things should be coded simply. {grin}

-- Randal L. Schwartz, Perl hacker