my %vars = (
    'dir-mode' => \$d_mode,
    'file-mode' => \$f_mode,
    'link-mode' => \$l_mode,
    'dir-owner' => \$d_own,
    'file-owner' => \$f_own,
    'link-owner' => \$l_own,
    'dir-group' => \$d_grp,
    'file-group' => \$f_grp,
    'link-group' => \$l_grp,
  );
  for my $testy (keys %{ $config{$test}{$tester} }) {
    unless ($vars{$testy}) {
      warn "Unexpected test key '$testy'";
      next;
    }
    ${ $vars{$testy} } = $config{$test}{$tester}{$testy};
  }

##</code><code>##

  my $wanted_this_time = {
    mode => $wanted_mode,
    owner => $wanted_owner,
    group => $wanted_group,
  };

##</code><code>##

  my $wanted = {
    if_directory => {
      mode => $dir_mode,
      owner => $dir_owner,
      group => $dir_group,
    },
    if_link => { ... }
    if_file => { ... }
  };

##</code><code>##

my %wanted;
my %validfile = map +($_ => 1), qw/ dir file link /;
my %validupdate = map +($_ => 1), qw/ mode owner group /;
for (keys %{ $config{$test}{$tester} }) {
  my($filetype, $updatetype} = split /-/, $_, 2;
  unless ($validfile{$filetype} && $validupdate($updatetype}) {
    warn "Unexpected directive '$_'";
    next;
  }
  $wanted{$filetype}{$updatetype} = $config{$test}{$tester}{$_};
}

[...]

sub wanted_c {
  stat($_);
  my $wanted =
    (-d _ ? $wanted{'dir'})
    : (-l _ ? $wanted{'link'})
    : (-f _ ? $wanted{'file'})
    : return;  # ?? warn unexpected type?
  return unless $wanted;  # nothing to change
  if (defined $wanted->{'mode'}) {
    change_mode($_, $wanted->{'mode'});
  }
  if (defined $wanted->{'owner'}) {
    change_owner($_, $wanted->{'owner'});
  }
  if (defined $wanted->{'group'}) {
    change_group($_, $wanted->{'group'});
  }
}

##</code><code>##

  my %filetypes = (
    'dir' => sub { -d _ },
    'link' => sub { -l _ },
    'file' => sub { -f _ },
  );
  my %updatetypes = (
    'mode' => \&change_mode,
    'owner' => \&change_owner,
    'group' => \&change_group,
  );
  sub wanted_c {
    stat($_);
    for my $filetype (keys %wanted) {
      next unless &{ $filetypes{$filetype} };
      my $wanted = $wanted{$filetype};
      for my $update (keys %$wanted) {
        &{ $updatetypes{$update} }($_, $wanted->{$update});
      }
    }
  }