use strict;
  use URI::Escape;
  use Storable qw(freeze);

  my $hashref={ Foo=>1, Bar =>'string' };
  my $frozen=uri_escape(freeze($hashref));
  my $output=`otherscript.pl $frozen`;
  print $output;
[download]

  use strict;
  use URI::Escape;
  use Storable qw(thaw);
  use Data::Dumper;

  my $hashref=thaw(uri_unescape(shift @ARGV));

  print Dumper $hashref;
[download]

In fact, this method probably isn't a good idea in any circumstances :)

mr.nick ...

use Data::Dumper;
$Data::Dumper::Indent = 0;
$Data::Dumper::Useqq = 1;
my @arr = [ 'abc', 2, 'def', [ 5 , 6 ], 4 ];
my $cmd = "echo '" . Dumper(\@arr) . "'";
print qx{$cmd};
[download]

At that exact moment, setting some other C pointer in some other process to that exact value of 0x12A99B will not result in a value which when dereferenced is 'Y'.

Perl is written in C and in this case would share C's limitations. The addresses in memory are not meaningful when sent from one process to another concurrent one. So the short answer is no, you cannot.

Sure, serializing your array is the right answer for how to do it, but if you want to be off-the-wall then convert your array to XML, write it to a file and then read it into your other process.

Who needs serialized arrays anyway? All data should always be transferred as XML. That way you can practice the skills you will need for SOAP, the Dublin Core and other XML implementations.

That limitation has nothing to do with C. The limitation has all to do with the process model the operating system uses. Suppose it would be possible to pass a reference (or a pointer) to a child process. There are at least two problems with that:
• What do you think is going to happen if the parent process dies?
• Pointers (and hence, references), are nothing more than integers - virtual addresses to some place in memory. If one could pass a pointer or a reference, it would mean one process can muck around in the data space of another process. Regardless of whether that pointer was passed. Just think of those implications. No security! Script kiddie heaven.

-- Abigail

My point was that even C cannot make a pointer whose value is set in one process meaningful in another. If C cannot do it then a higher level language like Perl, which doesn't even allow pointer arithmetic, couldn't either.

Aren't you the Abigail who got a nice thank you in one of the Perl releases? Although we have many knowledgeable people here it is nice to see a distaff one.

It sounds like you have a set of behaviors ABC in some script ABC.pl and you want to incorporate those behaviors into script XYZ. This sounds like the perfect use for modules. Instead of creating a whole script, create a module that has a function in it. That function will have all the behaviors ABC within it, and be able to take an array reference, or whatever else you might want to pass it. And, you can extend that module, get funky with OO, or anything else you might want to do. You get encapsulation and better error-handling and perfect Julienne fries, every time.